NITMB Scientific Focus: Theory and Mathematics in Neuroscience

Overview

The NITMB Scientific Focus on Theory and Mathematics in Neuroscience is a six-week long program comprising a junior scientist workshop, a trio of focused conferences, and a collection of collaborative projects at the National Institute on Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB). Together, these coordinated events are intended to bring emerging and established investigators into sustained conversation around three branches of mathematics that increasingly shape modern neuroscience: dynamics, geometry, and probability.

Dynamics in Neuroscience Conference. This workshop explores new mathematics related to dynamical systems and neuroscience. Major themes include network dynamics, learning dynamics, and data-driven methods. Organizers: Doiron, Kaufman, Litwin-Kumar, Noorman, Riecke, Zavatone-Veth. Apply now.

Geometry in Neuroscience Conference. The overarching goal of this three-day workshop (October 26-28) is to identify and discuss new mathematics related to geometry and neuroscience. Major themes include representational geometry, neural network loss surfaces, and topological data analysis. Organizers: Curto, Fink, Fitzgerald, Lipshutz, Muscinelli, Nogueira. Apply now.

Probabilistic Inference in Neuroscience. The overarching goal of this three-day workshop (November 2-4) is to identify and discuss new mathematics related to stochastic processes and neuroscience. Major themes include neural coding, neural data science, and NeuroAI. Organizers: Chklovskii, Fairhall, Glaser, Miri, Palmer, Vaikuntanathan. Apply now.

Core Program. We invite graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to apply for a six-week residency at NITMB. These junior scientists will work directly with six invited senior investigators whose expertise spans the thematic conferences (Chklovskii, Curto, Fairhall, Lipshutz, Litwin-Kumar, Zavatone-Veth) and the core organizing team (Doiron, Fink, Fitzgerald, Palmer). NITMB covers travel and accommodation for the duration of the stay. Shared meals, evening discussions, and occasional weekend excursions will help build a cohesive and enduring scholarly community. The program culminates in collaborative research projects. Trainees will develop these projects throughout their residency and during two dedicated research weeks designed to facilitate focused progress. Participants will be encouraged to propose project extensions that could be hosted throughtout an additional collaborative residence at NITMB with collaborators and/or their home institution mentors.  Apply here

During the opening week, the junior scientists will be in close residence with the organizers and all six visiting PIs in an intensive Junior Scientist Workshop setting. Trainees will present their work in a 20-minute research talk and deliver a 60-minute blackboard tutorial that introduces core concepts, methodological frameworks, and/or major open questions at a depth rarely possible in standard meetings. This opening week will be coordinated by NITMB faculty, ensuring continuous mentorship, structure, and institutional support.

​Three subsequent weeks will center on one of the thematic conferences, feature two of the visiting PIs, and have a dedicated team of NITMB co-organizers responsible for shaping the scientific program and supporting the trainees (see above). These conferences will be open to the broader community and will convene a wide range of theoretical and experimental researchers for three days of talks and discussion, with the junior scientists participating fully. Following each conference, the two paired external PIs will remain for two dedicated “digest” days designed exclusively for the trainees. These smaller sessions will emphasize synthesis of conference material, development of concrete research directions, and application of dynamics, geometry, and probability to contemporary problems in neurobiology.

​The core long program will culminate in research projects. The trainees will be able to work on these projects throughout the program and during two dedicated research weeks that will facilitate focused progress and come in the middle and end of the program. Interested students will be encouraged to propose project extensions that could be hosted throughout an additional collaborative residence at the NITMB with their long-program collaborators and/or home-institution mentors.

​Long-term Visitors. Please let us know if you are interested in coming to hang out at the NITMB for whatever period of the long program you’re interested in. There will be a lot going on, and it would be great to have you here!

Apply to the NITMB Visitor Program