Chen Distinguished Visitor Program

The Chen Center for Systems Neuroscience is excited to introduce the Chen Distinguished Visitor Program.  

Each of us uses specific experimental techniques in specific species, but the big computational questions we tackle transcend these details: What is a brain area computing and how can we discover this if we don't have prior hypotheses? How is a decision/state coordinated across multiple areas? How can a brain build a model of the world?

To help support computational efforts within each of our labs and spur dialog, the Center invites faculty to sponsor guests with expertise in computational neuroscience and/or systems neuroscience for visits to Caltech. Faculty are encouraged to invite visitors who can stimulate new approaches and new ways of thinking (imagine Feynman visiting each of our labs…). Visits longer than a day are feasible (e.g., to host scientists who wish to do an experiment or analyze a data set during their stay). The visitors should be at the faculty level, but exceptional post-docs and graduate students who stimulate interest across multiple labs may also qualify (think Viviana Gradinaru in her grad student days). We ask that you respect the spirit of the program. The intention here is to invite visitors with a broad perspective on the brain and computation who can come talk to all of us.

The Chen Center will provide funds for travel and accommodations as well as a honorarium. The sponsored visitor should (1) give a talk open to the community during their visit, and (2) set up meetings with at least two other faculty in addition to the sponsor. To apply for the program, please submit a brief proposal (up to one page) describing the expertise of the visitor and planned activities (including length of stay), as well as a CV. Please send applications to Chen.Inst@caltech.edu.  This will be an ongoing program and there is no deadline.