Twenty-First Annual Pi Mu Epsilon Lecture

Twenty-First Annual Pi Mu Epsilon Lecture

Twenty-First Annual Pi Mu Epsilon Lecture

Friday, October 28 at 4:15pm in Cheray 101
Jennifer Crodelle, Ph.D (Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Middlebury College)

Exploring Synchrony in the Brain Through Mathematical Modeling Abstract:
Mathematics has been used to model dynamics in nature for a long time, ranging from the movement of stars and planets to electromagnetic fields. It is still widely used in predicting weather patterns, navigating financial markets, and simulating the spread of an epidemic disease, among many other applications. Within neuroscience, mathematical modeling has been especially beneficial in helping to determine potential mechanisms contributing to different types of brain activity. Synchronized activity is particularly interesting since it tends to emerge during functional processes (learning and memory tasks) and is also often the first sign of neurological disease. In this talk, I will describe how I have used mathematical modeling through the years to gain insight into biological mechanisms underlying synchrony in several different brain regions.