The visions of shamans: Dynamic instabilities in neuroscience

Bard Ermentrout
University Professor of Computational Biology
Professor, Department of Mathematics, Department of Neurobiology
University of Pittsburgh

Thursday, April 19, 6:30-7:30pm, Murdock 101

Abstract:
Patterns are ubiquitous in the nervous system. These range from the temporal patterns of locomotion (e.g. gaits such as the trot, walk, and gallop) and other motor activity (head bobbing, scratching, tail wagging) to spatio-temporal patterns of neural activity seen during imaging of human brains and in electrical recordings in animal brains. In this talk, I will discuss the mechanisms that underly the emergence of patterns in space and time. Within this context, I will try to connect paleolithic cave paintings with spontaneous patterns in the excited brain. I will also discuss some recent experimental work on the interactions of external stimuli with the internally generated patterns of neural activity. The talk is free of equations and should be accessible to a general audience.

Brief bio:
PhD University of Chicago, 1979
University of Pittsburgh 1982-present
Currently a University Professor of Computational Biology with appointments in the Depts of Mathematics, Neurobiology, and Computational Biology.
Currently co-director of the Methods in Computational Neuroscience course at the Marine Biological Maboratory
Written over 150 papers
Author of XPPAUT, software for analyzing nonlinear dynamics
So-so gardener, parrot fancier, and expert on Popeye the Sailor.