Recent advances in machine learning have contributed to the emergence of powerful models for how humans and other animals reason and behave. In this course we will compare and contrast how such brain models as well as brains create intelligent behavior.


Systems neuroscience is the study of the nervous system at the level of neural circuits and networks. It seeks to understand how groups of neurons work together to process information and generate behavior. This field of neuroscience combines techniques from multiple disciplines, including physiology, anatomy, genetics, and computer science, to investigate the complex interactions between brain cells and how they give rise to behavior. The course will use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, discussions, primary literature reading, and hands-on coding activities.

Lecturer: Wulfram Gerstner.

Assistants: Louis Pezon, Kasper Smeets, Shuqi Wang

Lectures on Monday 9.15 am - 1 pm  (INM200)

Neuronal networks, consisting of neurons and synapses that form changeable connexions between the neurons, are thought to be the basis of learning, memory, and thinking. In this course we develop and use mathematical modeling techniques to describe neuronal activity and discuss aspects of neuronal dynamics, learning, and memory.