PCN 2022 - Primate Cognitive Neuroscience Summer School 2022

Hansjörg Scherberger, Alexander Gail, Igor Kagan and Stefan Treue

1) Sensory Cognition

• Neural signal routing and network configuration
• Visual search
• Visual attention
• Subcortical control of attention
• Plasticity in visual perception
• Visual Consciousness

2) Motor Cognition

• Spatial motor cognition
• Hand grasping control
• Thalamo-cortical interactions
• Cognitive cerebellum
• Dimensionality reduction of neural population activity
• Neural population changes with learning
• Neural control of reaching and reflexes 
• Cognitve motor control with sensory feedback

3) Decision Making

• Perceptual decision making
• Decision making and the superior colliculus 
• Attention and decision making in space and time
• Multisensory integration and decision making

This newly established European Summer School will bring together PhD students, early postdocs, and an international list of faculty for an intense training programme in primate cognitive and systems neuroscience. It will provide an outstanding training opportunity for young scientists working with non-human primates.

Teaching will focus on cognitive processes in primate sensory and motor systems as well as in social settings and decision making, and will include important and novel results and methodologies. Topics of animal welfare, ethics, and media outreach will also be covered. Each faculty member will teach for about one half-day and furthermore will be available for individual scientific discussions, career planning advice, and scientific networking. Participants are expected to present their ongoing work in a poster presentation.

Selection of applicants is competitive, and a limited number of travel grants is available for international participants.

Please note: Despite the current relaxation of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, we require all faculty and students to be adequately vaccinated for this event. Depending on the situation at the time of the event, we might also implement additional measures, like masks and regular testing on site. Participants unable to comply with these measures cannot be admitted this year.

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Thanks to the DFG 1847 and the GTPN the costs for the Summer School will be mostly covered, however we require a participation fee of 500 Euro for the twelve days of scientific training. Furthermore, travelling has to be arranged and covered by the participants themselves.

For international students, a limited number of travel grants is available. Please attach a reasoned request to your application.

Funding supports the costs of:

• course
• accomodation in twin shared rooms
• all meals and coffee breaks
• selected social activities (kayaking, BBQ, guided tour, ...)