The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative Workshop,
"Olfactory Modeling," to be held March 2-4, 2015, at NIMBioS.
*Objectives: *The sense of smell is important for all animals; odors are
associated with identifying and locating food, determining food quality,
and identifying threats. In humans, loss of sense of smell occurs with
normal aging and is associated with a loss in quality of life. A decline
in the ability to detect and discriminate odors also can be a harbinger
of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease and
Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, the olfactory system is an important
model system for exploring neural computation including changes in
neural circuits in response to the environment and experience. The
olfactory system provides specific advantages for understanding learning
and memory, one of the most important goals in neuroscience.
Technological advances have led to a wealth of information about how
olfactory coding takes place in the mammalian nervous system, where
experimental approaches range from large-scale measurement of neural
activity during behavior to manipulation of activity via optogenetics.
Integration of these data through comprehensive models of the neural
networks involved in olfactory processing will advance our understanding
of olfaction, including the relationship between neural activity and
behavior. This workshop will review the current state of the
mathematical approaches and tools for modeling olfaction, identify tasks
that will maximize the impact of individual projects, and establish
collaborations for large-scale modeling of this system, with a focus on
incorporating realistic biophysical mechanisms for learning and memory.
*Location: *NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
*Co-Organizers: *Sharon Crook <https://sols.asu.edu/people/sharon-crook>
(School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences & School of Life
Sciences, Arizona State Univ., Tempe) and Brian Smith
<https://sols.asu.edu/people/brian-h-smith> (School of Life Sciences,
Arizona State Univ., Tempe)
For more information about the workshop and a link to the online
application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_olfaction
Participation in the workshop is by application only. Individuals with a
strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful
applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application
deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals, and lodging is
available for workshop attendees.
*Application deadline:* December 14, 2014
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from
around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to
investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life
sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, with
additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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Catherine Crawley, Ph.D.
Communications Manager
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)
University of Tennessee
1122 Volunteer Blvd, Ste. 106
Knoxville, TN 37996
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