BRAINNET WORKSHOP 2025

In-person & Virtual

5-8 May, 2025, Stockholm, Sweden

View of Stockholm-170351.jpg from Wikimedia Commons by Jonatan Svensson Glad, CC-BY-SA 4.0

2025 Edition Topics

Neural Networks and Brain-Inspired Computing - Neurobiology of Decision Making - Memory Formation and Retrieval - Neuroplasticity and Learning - Neuroimaging Techniques - Neurodegenerative Diseases - Large-Scale Brain Simulations - Theoretical Neuroscience - Open Science and Brain Research

About

The BrainNet workshop promotes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the brain, covering a wide range of topics that elucidate its complex mechanisms and functions. The event brings together distinguished scientists from leading institutions across Europe who investigate the brain using methods from fields such as Statistics, Complex Networks, Dynamical Systems, Topology, Machine Learning, or a combination of these. By integrating diverse perspectives and cutting-edge research, the workshop aims to advance our understanding of brain function while fostering innovation and collaboration within the scientific community. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the latest findings, discuss emerging trends, and explore the ethical and practical considerations of brain research.

WORKSHOP PROGRAM

The workshop will consist of:

  • Speaker presentations: Talks given by researchers presenting an overview of their area of research and their latest results.

  • Contributed talks: Selected from abstracts submitted by participants interested in presenting at the workshop.

  • Flash talks: Short 5-minute talks that all participants should give to introduce themselves and the topics they are working on or are interested in.

Confirmed Speakers

Adrián Ponce-Alvarez
Department of Mathematics, Polytechnic University of CataloniaWebpage

Talk Title:: Collective activity of neural systems at different scales and in different brain statesAbstract: Interesting phenomena in biological systems are usually collective behaviors emerging from the interactions among many constituents. Neural circuits are no exception: they continuously generate coordinated patterns of activity across neurons, neural populations, and brain regions. However, the fundamental principles that organize these complex patterns across spatial and temporal scales remain largely unknown, making this a central question in neuroscience. In recent years, Statistical Mechanics (SM) has proven increasingly valuable in addressing this challenge. SM reveals that the behavior of systems composed of many interacting units can be effectively described by macroscopic properties that emerge from collective activity—often in ways that are largely independent of the system’s microscopic details. I will present applications of SM to the study of neural systems at different scales, from neural microcircuits to whole-brain activity, across various brain states (e.g., cortical states, resting-state, and anesthesia), and using diverse recording techniques (spiking activity, calcium imaging, and fMRI). This approach seeks to elucidate how collective neural activity shapes information processing and how neural systems balance robustness with flexibility.

Alex Bhogal
University Medical Center UtrechtGoogle Scholar

Talk Title:: Mapping cerebrovascular reactivity in health and disease.
Abstract: A promise of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been its potential to provide non-invasive biomarkers that are sensitive to physiological changes linked to early stages of disease. This is in contrast to the current clinical standard that relies mainly on tissue structural information to identify disease-induced changes. An exciting techniques gaining widespread adoption involves the mapping of the cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) response to vasoactive stimuli for insight to the hemodynamic state of tissues. The CVR response is of course also important when considering that we often use similar fMRI based techniques to understand brain function. I will talk about how map CVR across the brain, what are some physiological factors that modulate the CVR response and how apply these techniques to answer clinical questions.

Andrew Lehr
University Medical Center GöttingenGoogle Scholar

Talk Title:: Circuit mechanisms for the dynamic control of neural activity sequences and neural manifoldsAbstract: I will talk about how robust spatiotemporal activity sequences can be generated in recurrently connected neural networks and consider possible neural mechanisms for flexible, fast timescale control of these sequences, the neural manifold, and ultimately behavior. Since flexible and dynamic behavior is reflected in the low dimensional representation within neural networks in the brain, it is important to establish the link between local circuit mechanisms, population dynamics, and the neural manifold in order to pinpoint the neural implementation of flexible behavioral control.

Annegret Habich
Karolinska InstitutetGoogle Scholar

Talk Title:: Tracking the spread: predicting neurodegeneration with epidemic modelsAbstract: Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia with Lewy bodies are characterized by the aggregation of misfolded proteins that induce neurodegeneration in affected brain regions. This process closely resembles the dynamics of epidemics. The vulnerability of a brain region depends on its reachability by the pathology along neural connections as well as regional protein and cell compositions that confer varying degrees of protection. Taking these factors into account, agent-based epidemic models provide a powerful framework to predict disease progression by simulating the transmission and accumulation of protein aggregates within brain networks and the resulting neurodegeneration in affected regions.

Barbara Hollunder
Department of Neurology, Charité - University Medicine BerlinGoogle Scholar

Talk Title:: A Deep Dive into the ‘Dysfunctome’: Delineating Disrupted Brain Circuits in Mood, Cognition, and Behavior through Invasive Neuromodulation.Abstract: Brain disorders that impair affective, cognitive, or motor function are commonly tied to dysfunctions in specific brain circuits. While the exact circuits remain elusive, invasive neuromodulation techniques like deep brain stimulation (DBS), combined with high-resolution connectomics, offer a powerful means of mapping these dysfunctions. By targeting focal points deeply seated within the brain, DBS induces wide-ranging network effects, providing causal insights into brain-behavior relationships. This talk will explore how DBS helps decode the human 'dysfunctome’ across conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder, Parkinson’s disease, or Tourette’s syndrome, revealing how findings can cross-inform one another while opening new avenues for personalized neuromodulation therapies.