Modeling synapses and their impact on integrative properties of neurons

我的发现补助金研究计划的总体目标是了解神经计算的生物物理决定因素。也就是说，识别细胞与细胞之间的信号传递和信号整合的底物，这些底物是神经细胞中信息处理的基础。更具体的重点是了解突触机制如何塑造神经元的计算特性。其基本原理是，对这些机制的详细理解是必要的，以提供对大脑计算能力的适当评价。例如，很长一段时间以来，突触被认为仅仅是信息的传递者，就像简单电路中的一个门。然而，近年来的研究表明，突触在神经细胞的信息处理中起着非常积极的作用。突触本身在神经回路中执行关键的计算功能。反过来，它们可以塑造整个神经元的整合特性。事实上，通过突触活动，网络有能力改变其单个神经元的计算能力。

The general objective of my Discovery Grant research program is to understand the biophysical determinants of neural computation. That is, to identify the substrates of cell to cell signalling and of signal integration that underlie information processing in nerve cells. The more specific focus is to understand how synaptic mechanisms shape the computational properties of neurons. The underlying rationale is that, a detailed understanding of these mechanisms is necessary to provide an appropriate appreciation of the computational capabilities of the brain. For example, synapses had been perceived for a long time as mere conveyers of information, such as a gate in simple circuits. Yet, research in recent years have revealed that synapses play a very active role in information processing by nerve cells. Synapses themselves perform critical computational functions in neural circuits. In turn, they can shape the integrative properties of the whole neuron. In fact, via synaptic activity, the network has the ability to alter the computational capabilities of its individual neurons.