1st INCF Workshop on Large-scale Modeling of the Nervous System

Stockholm, December 12-13, 2006

Goal

This workshop surveyed the current demands and ongoing activities and plans relating to development of tools for scalable neural network simulations. Areas covered included software components for reprocessing/model setup, as well as for storage, analysis, and visualization of results. The workshop 1) discussed the need for and kind of possible coordinated tool centred actions in this field, 2) outlined requirements and recommendations for actions, and 3) produced a report summarizing the findings.

Invited participants

David Beeman, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Andrew Davison, UNIC, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Markus Diesmann, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan
Mikael Djurfeldt, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Rodney Douglas, UNI – ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
Jens Eberhard, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Frederick Harris, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
Michael Hines, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Anders Lansner, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Thomas Natschläger, Software Competence Center Hagenberg, Hagenberg, Austria
Charles Peck, IBM Research Division, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
Shiro Usui, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan
Gabriel Wittum, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Reporter: Mikael Djurfeldt, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Program

December 12:
12.00 – 13.00   Lunch
13.00 – 19.00   Scientific presentations and discussions

• Jan Bjaalie | About INCF
• Anders Lansner | Topics and objective of the workshop
• Rodney Douglas |  Vision and demands for large-scale network simulations
• Shiro Usui |  Japan Node: supporting mathematical modeling for understanding brain function
• Andrew Davison |  Overview of simulators
• David Beeman |  Parallel simulation with GENESIS-PGENESIS
• Michael Hines |  Parallel simulation with Neuron
• Markus Diesmann |  Continuous spike times and efficiency in parallel simulations with NEST
• Fred Harris |  Parallel simulation with NCS
• Mikael Djurfeldt |  Parallel simulation with SPLIT
  

Each presentation scheduled for 20 minutes, including questions. At least 2 h during this session was devoted to general discussions focusing on the workshop goals.

20.00 –            Dinner

December 13:

08.30 – 13.00   Scientific presentations and discussions, draft report

    * Charles Peck |  Parallel simulation with LENS
    * Thomas Natschläger | Parallel simulation with CSIM
    * Jens Eberhard | Specifying networks, growing neurons
    * Gabriel Wittum | Numerics of parallel neural simulations

Each presentation scheduled for 20 minutes, including questions. At least 3 h during this session was devoted to general discussions and preparation of a draft report from the workshop.

13.00 – 14.00   Lunch

Support

Supported by the INCF Central Fund and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research.

Meeting location

INCF Secretariat
Karolinska Institutet
Nobels väg 15 A
SE-171 77 Stockholm
Sweden

Travel info

Travel between the airport, the hotel, and the INCF Secretariat

Scientific organizer

Anders Lansner, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden