Role of complex synaptic dynamics for learning and memory

How do neural circuits encode memories and compute? Friedemann is a computational neuroscientist fascinated by this question. During his fellowship he will investigate how complex non-linear synaptic dynamics reshape networks of spiking neurons into functional circuits capable of computation. The long-term aim is to uncover general principles of neural plasticity from the interplay of synaptic dynamics, network dynamics and neuromodulation. He will initially work with Professor Surya Ganguli at Stanford University and then move to work with Professor Scott Waddell and Dr Tim Vogels at the University of Oxford. Moreover, Friedemann will collaborate with several experimental groups to validate his theoretical findings.