San Juan Winter School on Connectomics and Brain Simulation
December 29, 2025 - January 10, 2026
Analysis and Modelling of Drosophila Connectomes
The field of connectomics is an emerging area of neuroscience that explores the intricate network of connections between brain neurons, and is revolutionizing our understanding of brain function. The primary drivers of connectomics research are whole brain neural wiring diagrams called "connectomes" that are produced from high-resolution electron microscopy data.
While most of these connectomes are publicly available, their scale and complexity require specialized tools and skills for effective analysis. In this two-week course, lecturers will teach state-of-the-art methods and concepts driving this fast-developing field. There will also be hands-on practical sessions in which students learn how to access data, apply software tools, and disseminate their derived data products and code.
The course uses complete connectomes from Drosophila melanogaster to provide hands-on experience with advanced software tools. Beyond providing technical expertise, this course enables researchers without traditional laboratory setups to contribute valuable insights to connectomics, helping to translate complex connectomic data into knowledge about how the brain produces behavior.
Invited Speakers
- Yerbol Kurmangaliyev* - Assistant Professor, Brandeis University
- Larry Abbott - Professor, Columbia University
- James Fitzgerald - Associate Professor, Northwestern University
- Bing Brunton - Professor, University of Washington
- Gwyneth Card - Associate Professor, Columbia University
- Mala Murthy - Professor, Princeton University
- Ashok Litwin-Kumar* - Assistant Professor, Columbia University
- Joshua Vogelstein - Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University
* Confirmed speakers
Organizers
- Sven Dorkenwald - Incoming Assistant Professor, MIT
- Stefanie Hampel - Adjunct Professor, University of Puerto Rico
- Andrew Seeds - Associate Professor, Institute Director, University of Puerto Rico
- Sebastian Seung - Professor, Princeton University
- Srinivas Turaga - Group Leader, Janelia Research Campus
Application
Target Audience
The course is targeted at graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. Outstanding undergraduate students are also encouraged to apply.
- Programming Experience: Experience in Python programming required
- Participant Limit: 20 participants
Application Materials
- CV: Without publications
- Publication list: It is okay if this is short or empty
- Reference letters: Two confidential letters from supervisors, mentors or collaborators
Application Form Prompts
The form will ask you to respond to the following prompts:
- Describe your relevant research experience
- Describe how you would benefit from the course
- Describe your python programming experience (see Preparation Resources below for materials)
Important Dates
- Application Deadline: September 30, 2025
- Notification of Acceptance: October 15, 2025
Registration Fee
* Fee includes accommodation and meals. Travel expenses are not included.
Financial Aid Available: Need-based financial assistance is available. There is a dedicated section in the application form to request financial aid. Financial aid requests are evaluated separately from your application - your need for financial assistance will not affect the evaluation of your application.
Apply Now
Application Submission:
Applications will be submitted through OpenReview. Applications will open soon.
Preparation Resources
For participants looking to strengthen their Python programming and computational neuroscience background, we recommend the Neuromatch Computational Neuroscience Course (unaffiliated). This free online course covers Python programming, linear algebra, calculus, statistics, and various computational neuroscience topics.
Location
Sponsors
University of Puerto Rico
National Science Foundation
