»"Theorizing and Modeling in Neuroscience" Conference

Chapman University presents a conference on the topic of "Theorizing and Modeling in Neuroscience". This interdisciplinary conference aims at exploring various theoretical and modeling approaches in today’s neurosciences, with a focus on cognitive neuroscience and systems neuroscience. The conference will gather experts in cognitive, computational and theoretical neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy of neuroscience, who will collectively discuss how these various approaches originated, how they are currently developing, the extent to which they are compatible, and, crucially, how they could be combined into more comprehensive theoretical frameworks.

The conference is partnership between Chapman's Schmid College of Science and Technology, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the Doctor of Science in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics program, and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences. It is co-organized by Chapman faculty members Marco Panza, Thomas Pradeu, Michael Ibba, Uri Maoz, and Aaron Schurger.

The conference takes place from January 16 - 17, 2025. All conference events are held at Chapman University in Argyros Forum Boardroom 212 unless otherwise noted.

Click here for a downloadable flyer for the event.

Conference Schedule

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8:15 - 9:15am	Coffee and Breakfast Argyros Forum 201
9:15 - 9:30am	Michael Ibba, Chapman University Introductory Remarks
Session 1: Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence
9:30 - 10:30am	James L. McClelland, Stanford University “Comparing Human and Artificial Intelligence: Functions, Computations, and Architectures”
10:30 - 11am	Coffee Break Argyros Forum 201
Session 2: Beyond the Brain
12 - 1pm	Michael Levin, Tufts University “Neuroscience Beyond Neurons: How Somatic Bioelectricity Implements an Unconventional Intelligence”
1 - 2pm	Lunch Argyros Forum 201
Session 3: Social and Emotional Perspectives
2 - 3pm	Carolyn Parkinson, University of California, Los Angeles “The Brain in the Social World: Integrating Approaches from Neuroscience, Psychology and Social Network Analysis”
3 - 4pm	Ralph Adolphs, California Institute of Technology “Functionalism, Emotion, and the Brain”
4 - 4:30pm	Coffee Break Argyros Forum 201
Session 4: Neuroimaging Signals and their Meaning
4:30 - 5:30pm	Uri Maoz, Chapman University "A Spiking-Neural-Network Model for Slow Ramping in the Human Brain"
5:30 - 6:30pm	Adina L. Roskies, University of California, Santa Barbara “Inference in Neuroimaging and the Problem of Cognitive Ontology”
7pm	Dinner O SEA 109 S Glassell St, Orange, CA 92866

8:15 - 9:15am	Coffee and Breakfast Argyros Forum 201
Session 5: Neural Circuit Models
9:15 - 10:15am	Jean Petitot, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales "Geometrical Models for the Functional Architecture of the Visual Area V1"
10:15 - 11:15am	William Newsome, Stanford University "Dynamical Systems as Mechanistic, Explanatory Models in Neuroscience"
11:15 - 11:45am	Coffee Break Argyros Forum 201
Session 6: Memory
11:45am - 12:45pm	Michael A. Yassa, University of California, Irvine "Episodic Memory in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease”
12:45 - 1:45pm	Lunch Argyros Forum 201
Session 7: Perception
1:45 - 2:45pm	Megan Peters, University of California, Irvine “Towards Quantifying Qualitative Experience: Introspective Psychophysics”
2:45 - 3:45pm	Aaron Schurger, Chapman University “Transient Stability in Attractor Networks as a Mechanism for Perceptual Decision Making”
3:45 - 4:15pm	Coffee Break Argyros Forum 201
Session 8: Causality
4:15 - 5:15pm	Lauren N. Ross, University of California, Irvine “The Circuit Concept in Neuroscience: Causation, Constraints, and Computation”
5:15 - 6:15pm	Frederick Eberhardt, California Institute of Technology “Causal Modeling in Neuroscience”
6:30pm	Reception with Hors d’Oeuvres and Champagne Argyros Forum 201

»"Theorizing and Modeling in Neuroscience" Conference

Conference Schedule

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Session 1: Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence

Session 2: Beyond the Brain

Session 3: Social and Emotional Perspectives

Session 4: Neuroimaging Signals and their Meaning

Friday, January 17, 2025

Session 5: Neural Circuit Models

Session 6: Memory

Session 7: Perception

Session 8: Causality

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