The dendritic (input) and axonal (output) arbors of neurons are extremely diverse, affecting both signal processing and activity propagation throughout the network. We will present a framework conceptually and quantitatively linking neuron morphology and circuit connectivity using the hippocampal formation as a practical example. This approach provides a comprehensive yet compact neuronal classification system while enabling systematic integration of other dimensions of cellular identity, such as molecular expression and electrophysiological properties. Organizing the resulting data in web-based neuroinformatics repository and leveraging state-of-the-art computing architectures allows real scale modeling of simulated dynamics to explore cellular-level mechanisms underlying brain function.

Speaker Bio: Giorgio A. Ascoli received a PhD in Chemistry from the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, Italy, and continued his research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD investigating protein structure and binding in the nervous system. After establishing his lab at George Mason University, Ascoli contributed to the establishment of the fields of computational neuroanatomy and neuroinformatics. He now directs a research center studying the relationship between brain structure, activity, and function from the cellular to the circuit level. In the long term, he seeks to create large-scale, anatomically plausible neural networks to model entire portions of a mammalian brain, such as the hippocampus.

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