Sequential propagation and routing of activity in a cortical network

This seminar was originally scheduled for Feb 1 and has now been re-scheduled to April 19.

Abstract: Single spikes can trigger repeatable sequences of spikes in cortical networks. The mechanisms that support reliable propagation from such small events and their functional consequences for network computations remain unclear. We investigated the conditions in which single spikes trigger reliable and temporally precise sequences in a network model constrained by experimental measurements from turtle cortex. We examined the roles of connectivity, synaptic strength, and spontaneous activity in the generation of sequences. The resulting activity can be selectively gated, enabling the controlled routing of activity. These results reveal how repeatable sequences of activity can be triggered, sustained, and controlled, with significant implications for cortical computations.

Brief Bio: Julijana Gjorgjieva obtained her Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience at Cambridge in 2011 and did postdoctoral training at Harvard and Brandeis University. In 2016, she established her independent research group at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt and will join the Technical University of Munich as a W3 professor in 2022. She is the 2021 recipient of the Eric Kandel Young Neuroscientists Prize, has co-chaired the Bernstein Conference in 2020 and 2021, and is a FENS-Kavli Network of Excellent Scholar. Her work investigates how organization and computation emerge in neural circuits during development, and how they are maintained throughout learning in adulthood.

Recording available on kcnhub youtube channel

https://youtu.be/IPB-R91JuOI