Cosyne 2005 Workshops
March 21-22, 2005
Snowbird, Utah
Workshop Title
Computational Olfaction: behavior, networks, neurons
Organizer(s)
Dima Rinberg and Alex Koulakov
Abstract
The great challenge in understanding any sensory system is to combine different approaches at the behavioral, network and neuronal levels. While there is obvious progress in understanding olfactory signal transduction and performance of individual neurons, little is clear about how the system works as whole. The lack of data from behavioral studies, the complexity of olfactory space, and the difficulty in formalizing, describing and controlling the stimulus make olfaction a particularly challenging field for quantitative approaches.
The goal for the current workshop is to bring together computationally oriented researchers studying olfactory systems at different levels from behavior to receptors, and to initiate dialog between them. The main discussion topics will be: What is the nature of the olfactory code? What behavioral and neurophysiological experiments should be conducted to answer this question? What models will help the field to move forward?
