News
*PhD and Postdoc Job Alert*
The positions will focus on either developing a computational model of cortical self-attention or build on the Neuronal Least-Action principle and its extension to long-term temporal processing and spike-based activity.
Apply by April 28, 2025.
2025
New Preprint!

"Building functional and mechanistic models of cortical computation based on canonical cell type connectivity"
-> Publication
New Preprint!

"Multihead self-attention in cortico-thalamic circuits"
-> Publication
COSYNE Conference & Workshop - Mar. 27 - Apr. 1 - Info

One group member presented a Poster!
- Prospective and retrospective coding in cortical neurons by Simon Brandt
NICE Conference - Mar 25-28 - Info

One flash talk was presented!
- Elise: efficient learning of sequences in structured recurrent networks by Ben von Hünerbein
Striking a Deal with AI: new Interview in the Berner Zeitung!
Walter Sennand Federico Benitez discussed their latest work on AI consciousness and explored how a "Human-AI Deal" could define the rights and responsibilities between humans and machines.

Read the interview: Berner Forscher wollen einen Deal zwischen Mensch und Maschine( PDF)
-> related Publicationand Press Release
Swiss Computational Neuroscience Retreat - Feb. 5-7 - Info
Two talks were presented!
> "Prospective and retrospective coding in cortical neurons" by Simon Brandt
> "Elise: Efficient learning of Sequences in Structured Recurrent Networks"
by Ben von Hünerbein
2024
New Article in eLife!
Searching the most efficient path to real-time learning

"A Neuronal Least-action Principle For Real-time Learning In Cortical Circuits"
-> Publication- Digest
11th Christmas Symposium & Party - Department of Physiology - Info

Arno Granierwith "Building models of the cortex from empirical gifts: theoreticians and experimentalists celebrating together"
and Julian Göltzwith "Twinkle twinkle little neuron"
delivered Christmas-themed presentations to spread the festive spirit!
New Article in Frontiers in Radiology!
Enhancing Deep Learning Robustness in Medical Imaging

"DreamOn: a data augmentation strategy to narrow the robustness gap between expert radiologists and deep learning classifiers"
-> Publication
Interview by the Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) Wissenschaftsmagazin - Info

Walter Senn said a few words about the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics (9:17 - 10:18)
New Preprint Contribution!

"Unsigned temporal difference errors in cortical L5 dendrites during learning"
-> Publication
New Article in AI and Ethics!
A model for consciousness emergence in AI systems, governed by a "Human-AI Deal"

"The conductor model of consciousness, our neuromorphic twins, and the human-AI deal"
-> Publication- Press Release
->News articles: myScience - swissinfo.ch - Blick
New Preprint!

"Hierarchy of prediction errors shapes the learning of context-dependent sensory representations"
-> Publication
Bernstein Conference & Workshops 2024 - Sep. 29- Oct. 2 - Info


Katharina Wilmespresented the talk "Uncertainty-modulation of plasticity"
ICANN: Artificial Neural Networks and Machine Learning - Sep. 17-20 - Info

Walter Sennpresented the keynote "Dendritic computations and deep learning in the brain"
Interview on artificial intelligence (AI) for the play "Majorie Prime" - Effingertheater Bern, 24. August - 20. September 2024 - Info

Walter Sennshares insights from his work on AI to discuss "Marjorie Prime", a play depicting the recreation of a loved one as an AI.
Read the full interview.
New Article in PNAS Nexus!

"Confidence and second-order errors in cortical circuits"
-> Publication
AREADNE 2024 Research in Encoding And Decoding of Neural Ensembles - June 25-29 - Info

Federico Benitezpresented "Order from chaos: Interplay of development and learning in recurrent networks of structured neurons" (Poster)
FENS Forum 2024 - June 25-29 - Info

Matthias Tsaipresented "Hierarchy of prediction errors shapes context-dependent sensory representations" (Poster)
Manfred-Stärk-Symposium 2024 - Thunersee - June. 11-13

Special symposium on Theoretical Neuroscience and Neuromorphic Computation dedicated to our generous benefactor Manfred Stärk and his foundation.
New Article! Single neurons perform bayes-optimal cue integration.

"Conductance-based dendrites perform Bayes-optimal cue integration"
-> Publication
New Article Contribution: (PAL), a bio-plausible method to learn efficient feedback weights!

"Learning efficient backprojections across cortical hierarchies in real time"
-> Publication
ICNCE: International Conference on Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering - June 3-6 - Info

Katharina Wilmespresented the Poster "Confidence estimation and second-order errors in cortical circuits" and the Talk "Neural mechanisms underlying predictive processing in uncertainty"
Summer School Neuroscience of Dreaming - June 3-7 - Info

Walter Sennpresented "Sleep beyond memory replay: how creativity and sleep-dream-reality discrimination emerge" (Talk)
New Article!
Adversarial REM Dreams: The Brain's Creative Learning Playground.

"How Adversarial REM Dreams May Facilitate Creativity, and Why We Become Aware of Them"
-> Publication
EBRAINS Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroscience - May 28-31 - Info

Walter Sennpresented "Real-time error-based processing in cortical circuits" (Talk)
Neuromonster: Fifth International Convention on the Mathematics of Neuroscience
and AI - May 28 - 31 - Info
> Arno Graniergave the Talk "Confidence estimation and second-order errors in cortical circuits" -> recording
> Simon Brandtpresented the Poster "Prospective and Retrospective Coding in Cortical and Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons"

New Preprint Contribution!
Role of Spike Generation and Adaptation

"Prospective and retrospective coding in cortical neurons"
-> Publication
EMBO Workshop Principles of dendritic function and computation - May 21-24 - Info

> Ben von Hünerbeinpresented "Order from chaos: Interplay of development and learning in recurrent networks of structured neurons" (Flash Poster Talk)
> Matthias Tsaipresented "Hierarchy of prediction errors shapes context-dependent sensory representations" (Poster)
Vision Sciences Society Meeting - May 17-22 - Info
LAKE CONFERENCES: The Neurobiology of Mental Health - May 12-16 - Info

Katharina Wilmespresented "Uncertainty-weighted prediction errors (UPEs) in cortical microcircuits" (Poster)
Dendritic computation, synaptic plasticity & molecular mechanisms Workshop - Apr 22-25 - Info

> Walter Sennpresented "Dendritic integration of prediction errors in deep cortical networks" (Talk)
> Arno Granier"Confidence modulation of apical dendrites in cortical circuits" (Poster)
PLENA - Pucón Learning and AI Summit - Apr. 8-12 - Info
New Preprint contribution!

"Increased perceptual reliability reduces membrane potential variability in cortical neurons"
-> Publication
New Preprint contribution!

"Order from chaos: Interplay of development and learning in recurrent networks of structured neurons"
-> Publication
COSYNE Conference & Workshop - Feb. 29 - Mar 5 - Info

Five group members presented a Poster!
- Ben von Hünerbein:"Order from chaos: Interplay of development and learning in recurrent networks of structured neurons"
- Laura Kriener:"Weight transport through spike timing for robust local gradients"
and Katharina Wilmesco-organised the workshop "The predictive brain: from algorithms to mechanisms"
New Article contribution to a special issue of Neuron on consciousness!

"An integrative, multiscale view on consciousness theories"
-> Publication
Swiss Computational Neuroscience Retreat - Jan 31 - Feb. 2
Ismael Jaraspresented "Learning, forward and backward" and Arno Granier"Confidence estimation and second-order errors in cortical circuits".

EBRAINS 2.0 - New funded Project! - Start: 01.01.2024 / Runtime: 3 years
EBRAINS 2.0 project submitted in response to the INFRASERV call has been awarded €38 million from the European Commission to further the development of services of the EBRAINS research infrastructure, a legacy of the Human Brain Project.

The project involves 59 partner institutions from 16 European countries and officially starts in January 2024. As partners, our group together with NeuroTMAwere granted €1.2 million.