Previous Workshops
Workshop 2025
Hands-On Workshop 2025
Workshop 2024
The brain: evolution, and plasticity
January 24 - 26, 2024
Auditorium Biology (PER 04, 0.110), Rte A. Gockel 3, CH-1700 Fribourg
Organizers:
Thomas Auer, Patricia Boya, Juliane Britz, Boris Egger, Dominique Glauser, Michael Harvey, Anne von Philipsborn, Mario Prsa, Michael Schmid, Simon Sprecher, and Katrin Huber
Deadline for registration: January 22, 2024
Deadline for abstract submission: January 12, 2024
Wednesday, January 24
| Morning Session: «Circuits, Metabolism and Memory» Chairs: Simon Sprecher, Dominique Glauser, Boris Egger |
|
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Welcome and general organization (Katrin Huber) |
| Introduction (Sprecher, Glauser, Egger) | |
| 09:15 - 10:15 | Genetic and biochemical analysis of a microcircuit that switches animal states (Mario de Bono, Institute of Science and Technology Austria) |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | Metabolic remodeling during Drosophila brain tumor formation (Catarina Homem, Nova Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Metabolic plasticity in the Drosophila memory center (Pierre-Yves Plaçais, Brain Plasticity Department, ESPCI, Paris, France) |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch break |
| Afternoon Session: «Clever guts and food for thoughts in Drosophila» Chairs: Anne von Philipsborn, Thomas Auer |
|
| 14:00 - 14:15 | Poster «Blitz» presentations* (students) |
| 14:15 - 14:30 | Introduction (von Philipsborn, Auer) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Exploring gut senses (Dafni Hadjieconomou, Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute, France) |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee Break and Poster** Viewing Session |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | Neuronal principles of internal state dependent sensory processing (Daniel Münch, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal) |
Thursday, January 25
| Morning session: «Cerebral cortex: what is it good for?» Chair: Michael Harvey, Mario Prsa |
|
| 09:00 - 09:05 | Introduction (Harvey/Prsa) |
| 09:10 - 10:00 | Sensory Cortex in Context and Learning (Prof. Randy Bruno, Oxford) |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | Coffee break |
| 10:20 - 11:10 | Cortical real estate for an ancestral visual system (Prof. Riccardo Beltramo, Cambridge) |
| 11:15 - 12:05 | Surprise response across adolescence (Prof. Tania Rinaldi Barkat, Basel) |
| 12:10 - 12:30 | Roundtable discussion |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch break |
| Afternoon session: «Mouse models to study neuronal metabolism and function» Chair: Patricia Boya |
|
| 14:00 - 14:15 | Poster «Blitz» presentations* (students) |
| 14:15 - 14:30 | Introduction (Boya) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Impact of astrocyte metabolism on cognition (Juan Pedro Bolaños, Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, CSIC, Salamanca, Spain) |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee Break and Poster** Viewing Session |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | Out of Breath: the impact of hypoxia on photoreceptor metabolism and vision (Christian Grimm, Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Dept Ophthalmology / USZ, University of Zürich) |
Friday, January 26
| Morning session: «Unraveling the primate brain: Insights into neurorehabilitation and cognitive brain function» Chair: Michael Schmid |
|
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Introduction (Schmid) |
| 09:15 - 10:15 | NHP model of stroke for the development of neurorehabilitation technologies (Dr. Charles Latchoumane (EPFL)) |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | On the inevitability of visual interruption (Prof. Ziad Hafed, University of Tübingen) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Decision Making Under Working Memory Limitation (Prof. Alex Thiele, Newcastle University) |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch break |
| Afternoon session: «Brain-Body Interactions» Chair: Juliane Britz |
|
| 14:00 - 14:15 | Poster «Blitz» presentations* (students) |
| 14:15 - 14:30 | Introduction (Britz) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Bodily signals shape the neural pathway to awareness (Juliane Britz, University of Fribourg) |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee Break and Poster** Viewing Session |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | A brain disconnected from its body (Dorothée Lulé, University of Ulm, Germany) |
* PhD students give a 3 min «Blitz» presentation (+ 2 min discussion) of their poster for the full audience in the main auditorium. A maximum of 2 power point slides are admitted. Students are advised to upload their slides on the conference-room computer 15 min before the start of the session. The posters can be visited during the coffee breaks for the duration of the workshop. Authors are encouraged to attend their posters to promote discussion.
** Format: AO Portrait, 84,1cm wide and 118,9 cm high
Workshop 2023
Workshop 2022
Virtual Workshop 2022
Experimental and clinical neurosciences: a journey from worm to man
January 19 - 21, 2022
University of Fribourg
Organizers:
Dominique Glauser, Boris Egger, Simon Sprecher, Mario Prsa, Michael Harvey, Urs Albrecht, Michael Schmid, Gregor Hasler, and Katrin Huber
Wednesday, January 19
| Session: "From neurons to behaviour in worms and flies" Chairs: Dominique Glauser, Boris Egger, Simon Sprecher, University of Fribourg |
|
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Welcome and general organization (Katrin Huber) |
| Introduction (Dominique Glauser) | |
| 09:15 - 10:15 | Don’t get too excited. Dissecting ion channel biology using C. elegans genetics (Dr Thomas Boulin, Institut NeuroMyoGene, CNRS/INSERM/, University of Lyon, France) |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | Decoding neuropeptide signaling networks in C. elegans (Prof. Dr Isabel Beets, Neural Signaling and Circuit Plasticity group, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Belgium) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | How do nerves survive as long as we live? (Prof. Dr Andreas Prokop, Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, University of Manchester, United Kingdom) |
| 12:30 - 14:00 | Lunch break |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | Connectomics and Neuromodulation in Drosophila larvae (Dr Katrin Vogt, Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Germany) |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | Coffee Break |
| 15:15 - 16:15 | Axon degeneration in the fruit fly Drosophila (Prof. Dr Lukas Neukomm, Departement des neurosciences fondamentales, University of Lausanne, Switzerland) |
| 16:15 - 16:30 | Closing address: Simon Sprecher |
Thursday, January 20
| Morning session: "Sensorimotor behavior across mammalian species" Chair: Mario Prsa and Michael Harvey, University of Fribourg |
|
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Introduction (Mario Prsa and Michael Harvey) |
| 09:15 - 10:15 | Serotonin and the modulation of leanrning and behavior (Prof. Zachary Mainen, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal) |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | The Biology of Grasping in Elephants (Prof. Michael Brecht, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Through the eyes of a mouse lemur (Prof. Daniel Huber, University of Geneva, Switzerland) |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch break |
| Afternoon session: "Clocks and Sleep" Chair: Urs Albrecht, University of Fribourg |
|
| 13:45 - 14:15 | Student “poster presentations” (Mélanie Palacio Manzano, Irina Sheer) |
| 14:15 - 14:30 | Introduction (Urs Albrecht) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Studying mouse sleep to get a grip on the vulnerability of mammalian sleep (Prof. Anita Lüthi, University of Lausanne) |
| 15:30 - 15:45 | Coffee Break |
| 15:45 - 16:45 | Daily sleep: cellular and circuit perspectives (Prof. Steven Brown, Universität Zürich) |
Friday, January 21
| Morning session: "Cognitive neuroscience in non-human primates" Chair: Michael Schmid, University of Fribourg |
|
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Introduction (Michael Schmid) |
| 09:15 - 10:15 | Extracting environmental structure for visual perception and prediction (Dr. Caspar Schwiedrzik, German Primate Center Göttingen, Germany) |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30 - 11:30 | Auditory Cognitive Predictions and Fronto-temporal Neural Systems (Prof. Chris Petkov, Newcastle University, UK) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Dedicated representations for self and others in the frontal cortex (Prof. Aldo Genovesio, Sapienza University, Italy) |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch break |
| Afternoon session: "Stimulating the brain: novel approaches in psychiatric neuroscience" Chair: Gregor Hasler, University of Fribourg |
|
| 13:45 - 14:15 | Student “poster presentations” (Janine Bühler, Samantha Weber) |
| 14:15 - 14:30 | Introduction (Gregor Hasler) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Psychedelics: pro-neuroplastic effects and safety ( Prof. Gregor Hasler, University of Fribourg) |
| 15:30 - 15:45 | Coffee Break |
| 15:45 - 16:45 | Deep brain stimulation for compulsivity: a translational view (Prof. Damiaan Denys, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam. ) |
Workshop 2021
Virtual Workshop 2021
Methods in Experimental Neurosciences: From Fundamentals to Clinics
February 10 - 12, 2021
Department of Physiology, University of Bern
Organizers:
Mario Acuña, Carolina Gutiérrez Herrera, Fabian Voigt, René Muri and Shankar Sachidhanandam.
Depts. of Neurology and Physiology, University of Bern; Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich
Speakers:
- Prof. Martin Heine, Institute for Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, University of Mainz
- Dr. David Perrais, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience, CNRS, Bordeaux
- Dr. Mario Acuña, Department of Physiology, University of Bern
- Dr. Robert Ganley, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich
- Prof. Tobias Nef, ARTORG, University of Bern
- Dr. Maxime Baud, Neurology, University Hospital Bern
- Dr. Gerd Tinkhauser, Neurology, University Hospital Bern
- Dr. Aurélie Manuel Stocker, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV and Neurology, University Hospital Bern
- Dr. Carolina Gutiérrez Herrera, DMBR, University of Bern
- Prof. Athina Tzovara, Institute of Computer Science, University of Bern
- Dr. Fabian Voigt, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich
- Dr. Florian Jug, Center for Systems Biology Dresden, MPI of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Credits: 2 ECTS points for short talks
The workshop is open for non-participants of the BENEFRI Ph.D. program in Neuroscience. Guests are welcome. Please register immediatly. The number of participants is limited!
Deadline for registration : January 30, 2021
Program:
Wednesday, February 10
| 09:30 - 09:40 | Introduction (Shankar Sachidhanandam, Physiology Bern) |
| 09:40 - 12:00 | Session 1: Mechanisms in synaptic transmission and plasticity (Shankar Sachidhanandam, Physiology Bern) |
| 09:40 - 10:40 | Dynamic organization of presynaptic calcium channels (Martin Heine, Institute for Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Mainz) |
| 10:40 - 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Imaging of post-synaptic receptor endocytosis and recycling to decipher its role in synaptic transmission and plasticity (David Perrais, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Bordeaux) |
| 12:00 - 13:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Short talks by students |
| 14:30 - 17:00 | Session 2: Understanding central mechanisms of pain (Mario Acuña, Physiology Bern) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Dissecting pain circuits using chemogenetics, optogenetics and targeted cell ablation (Robert Ganley, Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Zurich) |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee break |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | Cortical alterations underlying chronic pain (Mario Acuña, Physiology Bern) |
Thursday, February 11
| 09:30 - 12:00 | Session 3: Clinical applications of new methods in neuroscience Part I (René Muri, Neurology Bern) |
| 09:30 - 10:30 | Digital Biomarkers for Human Behavior – Current State of the Art and Perspectives (Tobias Nef, ARTORG Bern) |
| 10:30 - 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | EEG in mice and men: from neuronal currents to brain activity (Maxime Baud, Neurology Bern) |
| 12:00 - 13:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Short talks by students |
| 14:30 - 17:00 | Session 4: Clinical applications of new methods in neuroscience Part II (René Muri, Neurology Bern) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Principles and steps toward tailored deep brain stimulation in movement disorders (Gerd Tinkhauser, Neurology Bern) |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee break |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | New technological approaches for precision neurorehabilitation (Aurélie Manuel Stocker, CHUV & Neurology Bern) |
Friday, February 12
| 09:30 - 12:00 | Session 5: Sleep, sensory processing and consciousness (Carolina Gutiérrez Herrera, DMBR Bern) |
| 09:30 - 10:30 | Circuit perspective of thalamic regulation of sleep and cognition (Carolina Gutiérrez Herrera, DMBR Bern) |
| 10:30 - 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Neural dynamics of auditory processing in coma (Athina Tzovara, Institute of Computer Science Bern) |
| 12:00 - 13:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Short talks by students |
| 14:30 - 17:00 | Session 6: Tutorial on Light sheet microscopy and Image Analysis (Fabian Voigt, Brain Research Institute Zurich) |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | The mesoSPIM initiative - open-source light-sheet microscopes for imaging large cleared tissue samples (Fabian Voigt, Brain Research Institute Zurich) |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee break |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | Deep Learning for Microscopy - old problems and new solutions (Florian Jug, MPI Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics Dresden) |