Systems Neuroscience Group Meeting



Spring Semester, 2002
Wednesdays at 1.50pm in LCB 323

  • March 13: Seminar: Jack D. Cowan (Department of Mathematics, University of Chicago)
    Title: Mathematical modeling of primary visual cortex

  • March 20: Seminar: Alessandra Angelucci (Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Utah)
    Title: Circuits for spatial integration of information in the primate visual cerebral cortex

  • March 27: Journal Club: Stefan Folias (Department of Mathematics, University of Utah)
    D. Ferster and K. Miller, Neural mechanisms of orientation selectivity in the visual cortex. Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 23 : 441-471 (2000).

  • April 3: No meeting

  • April 10: Seminar: Peter Roper (NIH, Bethesda).

    Title: Modelling opioid-mediated bursting in vasopressin cells, Or What goes up must come down
    Abstract: The hormone vasopressin (AVP) controls both the concentration of the blood and the blood pressure. It is released, in response to either dehydration or haemorrhage, from the axonal terminals of secretory neurones. AVP cells in the unstimulated rat fire in a slow, irregular discharge pattern (<10 Hz), however when the animal becomes dehydrated, they discharge lengthy, repeating bursts of spikes. The mechanism underlying the initiation of each burst has recently been clarified experimentally, the burst termination has yet to be determined. We have performed a combined electrical, calcium fluorescence and mathematical modelling investigation; and our work suggests that burst termination must be caused by the progressive desensitization to calcium of a potassium channel. Furthermore, we predict the time course of this desensitization, and we have proposed the opioid dynorphin to be a candidate messenger for the process.

  • April 17: Journal Club: Stefan Folias (Department of Mathematics, University of Utah)
    H. Sompolinsky and R. M. Shapley, New perspectives on the mechanisms for orientation selectivity, Current Opinion in Biology. 7: 514-522 (1997).

  • April 24: Journal Club: Sarah Geneser (Department of Mathematics, University of Utah)
    W. H. Bosking, Y. Zghang, B. Schofield and D. Fitzpatrick, Orientation selectivity and the arrangement of horizontal connections in tree shrew. J. Neuroscience 17 : 2112-2127 (1997).

  • May 1:
    Journal Club Papers

    For more information contact Paul Bressloff, 5-1633

    E-mail: bressloff@math.utah.edu