Events List

The Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering will host Cara E. Stepp, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA) who will present a seminar titled "Effects of nonlinear sensory-motor mapping and multi-modal paradigms on human-machine-interface control.”

Abstract: Human machine interfaces (HMIs) have the potential to enable communication for individuals with limited motor function by translating their intent into control signals to operate machines such as computers or assistive devices. However even the most promising of current HMIs rely primarily on visual feedback of motor intent via a computer monitor, which is impractical for many applications in daily life for which visual attention is needed elsewhere. Auditory feedback of motor execution in HMIs could enhance communication capabilities in a variety of applications, but compared with visual feedback, its use has been relatively unexplored. Thus far, auditory feedback in HMIs has been primarily limited to rudimentary strategies in which feedback is provided in the form of sound amplitude and frequency (pitch) changes that are linearly mapped to the user’s motor control. However, human auditory perception is not linearly related to acoustic features, which may account for past shortcomings. Our work using speech-like stimuli shows that auditory HMI control can be significantly improved by exploiting nonlinear auditory-motor mappings. Further, combining this type of auditory feedback with other sensory modalities (i.e., visual, vibrotactile) during training and/or execution of HMI control may expand the usability and applicability of HMIs, drastically improving the quality of life of severely paralyzed individuals.

The UW Computational Neuroscience program will host Michael Buice (Allen Institute for Brain Studies, Seattle) who will present "Neural Kinetic Theory: From Dynamics to Stochastics."

Abstract:  The complexity of the human brain is necessarily reflected in theoretical and computational models.  I will describe an approach to the mathematical analysis of neural networks which renders this complexity tractable, the application of many-body techniques to complex neural  networks.  This approach yields tractable equations for the collective dynamics of the network, as well as the network statistics in the form of "multi-neuron correlation functions."  I will show how the network level correlations, specifically those arising from finite size effects, can impact fundamental dynamical properties such as stability.  In addition, it will be seen that network heterogeneity can give rise to an effective stochastic equation obeyed by the individual neurons.

Seattle Children's Research Institute will sponsor a seminar by Justin Williams, Ph.D. (Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison) titled "Tunnels and ridges, lines and ridges: The influence of micro and nanoscale features on the interface between biological tissues and engineering technologies."
 

The UW Department of Pharmacology presents a seminar by Darwin K. Berg, Ph.D. (Professor and Chair, Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego) titled "Nicotinic Control of Neural Nets."