Author: Julie Pryor

Schwerpunkt

Anne Trafton |

Anamorphosis is a disorted image that becomes recognizable only when viewed from a particular point. The word anamorphosis originates from the Greek words anamorphoun (to transform) and morphē (form, shape). Examples of anamorphic art date back to the early Renaissance with Leonardo’s Eye (Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1485) being the first example of perspective anamorphosis in modern times.

We invite you to experience Schwerpunkt, an anamorphic neuron sculpture by Ralph Helmick at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Schwerpunkt is a German word meaning “main focus” or “focal point.” One hundred gold neurons seemingly float at random above the McGovern Institute lobby and make a beautiful transformation at the focal point on the third floor atrium level.

Read this STAT article to learn more about this sculpture and the artist behind it.

June 28, 2016
5:30pm – 7:00pm
MIT Bldg 46, Third Floor
550 Main Street, Cambridge MA

RSVP schwerpunkt@mit.edu | 617.715.5396

Schwerpunkt is made possible by a gift from Hugo Shong in memory of Patrick J. McGovern.

 

McGovern Institute for Brain Research hosts Chinese delegation

Anne Trafton |

On Thursday May 12, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT hosted a visiting delegation from China, headed by the Party Secretary of Guangdong Province, Hu Chunhua (Chinese: 胡春华 ) and also including the Mayor of Shenzhen, Xu Qin (Chinese: 许勤 ), the Chinese Ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai (Chinese: 崔天凯 ) and the Consul-General to New York, Zhang Qiyue (Chinese: 章启月 ). The visitors met with McGovern Director Robert Desimone and faculty members H. Robert Horvitz and Guoping Feng, and listened to presentations on the McGovern Institute’s collaboration with neuroscience researchers at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT). The director of SIAT, Fan Jianping (Chinese: 樊建平 ) also attended the meeting, and they discussed the potential for future collaborations and the commercial development of new therapeutics for brain disease in Guangdong.

Robert Desimone, the McGovern Director, said “It was an honor to have Party Secretary Hu Chunhua and his delegation visit the McGovern Institute. He expressed his sincere concern for the many people suffering from brain disease, ranging from autism to Alzheimer’s disease. We believe our collaborative projects in Guangdong Province offer real hope.” The delegation later toured the MIT Media Lab and met with MIT Provost Martin Schmidt.

2016 McGovern Symposium: Surya Ganguli

Anne Trafton |

May 9, 2016
Surya Ganguli, Stanford University
“A theory of neural dimensionality, dynamics and measurement”

2016 McGovern Symposium: Carl Petersen

Anne Trafton |

May 9, 2016
Carl Petersen, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
“Neural circuits for goal-directed sensorimotor transformation”

2016 Scolnick Prize Lecture: Dr. Cornelia Bargmann

Anne Trafton |

Title: Genes, Neurons, Circuits and Behavior: An Integrated Approach in a Compact Brain
Speaker: Cornelia Bargmann, The Rockefeller University
Date + Time: March 30, 2016 @ 4pm
Location: 46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium)

Abstract:

Behavior is variable, both within and between individuals. We use the nematode worm C. elegans to ask how genes, neurons, circuits, and the environment interact to give rise to flexible behaviors. This work has provided insights into four kinds of behavioral variability mediated by overlapping circuits: the gating of information flow by circuit state over seconds, the extrasynaptic regulation of circuits by neuropeptides and neuromodulators over minutes, the modification of behavior by learning over hours or days, and natural genetic variation across generations.