The Brain Conferences: The Necessity of Cell Types for Brain Function

In spite of over a hundred years of research, neuroscientists still lack a general theory of how cortical circuits operate. This is partly due to the large complexity of cortical neuronal subtypes and their interconnectivity, which form the “impenetrable jungles where many investigators have lost themselves”, as Cajal put it.

In fact, it is not even clear how many types of cortical neurons exist, and, without this “part list” it will be difficult to understand the structure and function of the cortical circuits. In the last decade, novel methods have been developed that enable the systematic sampling of the phenotypes of excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons. These datasets may make possible the assembly of objective and quantitative classifications of cortical cell types.

In this meeting we will review recent results from molecular, anatomical and functional mapping of cortical neurons, as well as computational methods to quantitatively define cell types and classify them. We will address and aim for a tangible consensus output for three questions: 1 - What is a cortical cell type? 2 - What are the basic cortical cell types? 3 - How should they be named?

Co-chairs: Ed Lein (Allen Institute for Brain Research, US) and Rafael Yuste (Columbia University, US)

Early application and abstract submission deadline: 25 June 2018

For detailed information (confirmed speakers, application overview etc.), please check The Brain Conferences webpage at www.thebrainconferences.org

The Brain Conferences establish a series of high-level meetings on neuroscience in Europe. Organised by FENS in collaboration with The Brain Prize, these bi-annual conferences bring together outstanding researchers in key areas of contemporary neuroscience to discuss current concepts and define challenges for future research.