Computational Neuroscience
Computational neuroscience brings many ideas and tools associated with computation to the study of the nervous system. Major influences have come from the success of biophysical models of neural activity, the enduring appeal of the brain-as-computer metaphor, the increasing prominence of statistical and machine learning methods throughout science, and from modern advances in artificial intelligence. Here in Pittsburgh we have an exceptionally large and vibrant community of neuroscientists and computational scientists who develop and/or apply cutting-edge computational methods in their work. We offer a Ph.D. through our Program in Neural Computation (PNC), an undergraduate minor in neural computation, year-long fellowships for CMU and Pitt undergraduates, and a program of summer undergraduate research that draws students from across the U.S. Our research may be described, roughly, as falling into one or more of the following three broad categories: Modeling of Neurons and Neural Circuits, System and Cognitive Modeling, and Recording and Analysis of Network Activity. The computational neuroscience community here at CNBC consists of both faculty whose expertise is primarily computational and those who have expertise in experimental methods as well. Visit the Computational Neuroscience Faculty Directory for contact information.
