Neural Circuits, Dynamics and Computations of Cognition and Behavior

No known object is as complex as the human brain. It is now clearer than ever before that if scientists are to comprehend its operational principles, particularly those underlying the more abstract aspects of cognition, they must apply a multidisciplinary approach. The sessions within the 2022 Gordon Conference for the Neurobiology of Cognition span inter-related areas of cognitive, systems, and computational neuroscience most relevant for understanding how brain circuits give rise to our abilities to think, feel, act, decide, plan, and learn.

The conference is designed to spark new avenues for discussion among participants with diverse scientific backgrounds whose paths might not normally cross. Individual sessions draw upon a mix of approaches for studying neural circuits at multiple spatial and temporal scales, in both humans and animal models, and the mechanisms by which such circuits give rise to cognition and behavior. The program brings together the latest techniques and approaches including electrophysiology of neural populations, imaging of neural circuits at multiple spatial scales and in concert with novel molecular tools, interrogation of the human brain via neuroimaging and electrophysiology, and computational approaches inspired by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Much attention is given to the recent explosion in data acquisition methods, and the capacity to analyze enormous datasets using increasingly sophisticated computational approaches. A persistent question in the background is how the elaborate architecture of the brain, governed by fundamental electrical, molecular, and mathematical principles, supports our subjective experience and directs our external behavior. The confluence of perspectives at this meeting, with diverse scientists called together to consider the most important topics in cognitive neuroscience, promises to cast new light on some of the most challenging and fascinating questions about how the brain works.

Statement on the responsible use of animals in research

We are a group of neuroscientists committed to understanding the brain and nervous system. This endeavor is vital for human health and wellbeing. Our research collectively sets the foundation for disease treatment, including neurological and psychiatric conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism, and paralysis. Biomedical research proceeds with direct clinical interventions emerging from foundational basic-science knowledge.

Animals are essential for the work that we do. Each of us conducts our research with care and consideration for the animals we use. Our research is overseen by numerous entities including the National Institutes of Health, the federal government’s Office of Lab Animal Welfare, and local university committees charged with reviewing our research procedures. We are guided by ethical principles for the responsible use of animals, which we each take very seriously.

Without animal research, medical treatments would not be possible. This includes vaccine research, notably the COVID vaccine, surgery, and pharmaceuticals. Human health, now and in the future, depends on animal research. We invite you to join us in taking a stand in support of animal research.