International Research Training Group 2150

IRTG Spring School
2017-04-26 - 2017-04-29
in Philadelphia, USA

IRTG Spring School Preparation
2017-04-18 16:00 - 17:30 UTC | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany

IRTG meeting (internal)
2017-04-11 16:00 - 17:30, 2017-03-28 16:00 - 17:30, 2017-02-28 16:00 - 17:30, 2017-01-31 16:30 - 18:00 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany

Presentation from Prof. Danilo Bzdok (UKA; IRTG supervisor)
2017-04-04 16:00 - 17:30 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany
Title: Approaches to Structure Discovery in Systems Neuroscience

WORKSHOP 7: Scientific presentations
2017-03-31 09:30 - 17:00
by IRTG staff (HanGue, Mikhail, Barbara, Olga, Lisa, Sina)

PART 1: 9:30-12:30, SEMINAR ROOM
PART 2: 13:30-17:00 (different rooms, according to group assignment)

WORKSHOP 6: The impact of classical statistics versus multi-variate pattern analysis (MVPA) on neuroscientific interpretation
2017-02-21 09:00 - 16:00 | IRTG Room (Flur 10)
Prof. Dr. Danilo Bzdok

Neuroimaging datasets are constantly increasing in resolution, sample size, multi-modality, and meta-information complexity. This opens the brain imaging field to a more data-driven machine-learning regime (e.g., classification algorithms, pattern recognition, cross-validation procedures) , while analysis methods from the domain of classical statistics remain dominant (e.g., ANOVA, Pearson correlation, Student’s t-test). Special interest lies in the interpretational opportunities that open when asking the same neurobiological question using analysis methods from different statistical cultures.

We will discuss 3 everyday scenarios of statistical analysis in functional neuroimaging:

1) In TMS intervention during semantic experiments in humans, we will discuss how standard GLM analyses emphasize notions of “neural activity extent” whereas newer support-vector-machine searchlight MVPA analyses emphasize notions of “activity pattern similarity”. This frequently yields opposing brain effects that tell complementary parts of a same neuroscientific story.
2) Why is there no significance test for brain atlasing using parcellation methods? We will discuss the interpretational differences between dividing the brain into separate regions (clustering methods like k-means and hierarchical clustering) and into overlapping, distributed patterns (decomposition methods like principal component analysis and independent component analysis), and how it is possible to perform forms of “statistical inference” on the obtain brain parcellations.
3) How are the data analysis practices likely to change in the face of currently growing data repositories (e.g., UKBiobank and Precision Medicine Inititative), and how will this affect the type of neuroscientific judgments that we can make based on the data (explained variance versus prediction, extrapolation to the general population versus out-of-sample generalization, etc.).

These general principles considered in 3 case studies are important in many different types of data analysis pipelines, including those in behavioral (non-imaging) psychology, genetics and molecular neurosciences in humans and animals. The successful statistical extraction and neuroscientific interpretation of structured knowledge from current and future neuroimaging datasets will be a critical prerequisite for our understanding of human brain organization in healthy populations and psychiatric disease.

Presentation from Prof. Barbara Krahé (University of Potsdam)
2017-02-14 16:00 - 17:30 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany
Title: Sexual Aggression among Young Adults: Prevalence and Risk Factors from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Anatomy Workshop with Dr. Palomero-Gallagher, Prof. Dr. Dr. Caspers and Prof. Zilles
2017-01-31 09:30 - 16:30 | SPIEGELSAAL, RWTH Uniklinik, Aachen
Lecture (Prof. Zilles) 09.30-10.15
Macroscopical and topographical anatomy of the human brain demonstrated on anatomical and MR images
Coffee break 10.15-10.30
Hand-Out and exercises in 3 groups 10.30-12.00
Plastinated preparations of entire brains and of coronal, horizontal and sagittal sections; assignment to functional systems.
Lunch break 12.00 – 13.00
Lecture (Dr. Palomero-Gallagher) 13.00-13.45
Cingulate Cortex: Anatomy and function
Coffee break 13.45-14.00
Lecture (Prof. Dr. Dr. Caspers) 14:00-14:45
Fiber tracts in the human brain
Coffee break 14.45-15.00
Hand-Out and practical exercises 15.00-16.30

Get-together on Thursday evening
2017-01-26 19:30 - 2017-01-27 05:00 | Aachen center, Pontstrasse 154, Aachen, 52074, Germany
Quickly reminder of what we talked about during last Christmas get-together. Let’s meet this Thursday 26 (tomorrow!) at 19:30h at Pontgarten (Pontstraße 154).

Presentation from Prof. Kerstin Konrad (UKA; IRTG supervisor)
2017-01-24 16:00 - 17:30 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany
Title: Gender differences in youth with Conduct disorder

Presentation from Prof. Matthias Gamer (University of Würzburg)
2017-01-17 16:00 - 17:30 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany
Title: Lie detection – the scope and the limits

Journal Club
2017-01-10 16:00 - 17:00 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany

IRTG meeting (internal)
2016-12-13 16:00 - 17:30 | IRTG library room, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aaachen, Non-US or Canadian Address, 52074, Germany
Presentation from Rama Ramya
