Call for contributions: 

Neuromodulation: understanding networks embedded in space and time 

A workshop at ECAL 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal. 10 September 2007

http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/users/andrewop/ECAL07/neuromodulation.ht
m

Neuromodulation occurs when neurons influence each other via processes other
than synaptic neurotransmission.  Neuromodulatory gases and neurohormones,
for instance, are synthesized by neurons and diffuse across volumes of
neural tissue, altering the functionality of neurons that they impinge upon.
As such,  neuromodulatory processes are proper to a spatio-temporal domain
that is fundamentally distinct from the network paradigm that has dominated
neuroscience and the study of artificial neural networks.  A theoretical
framework that combines neurotransmission and neuromodulation would
represent a qualitative shift in the way that we understand the adaptive
dynamics of neural systems, and would also have more general implications
for how we understand processes on a much wider class of complex embedded
networks (e.g., cellular, social, technological, and economic systems).

We are seeking original contributions that deal with modulation of networks
or neural properties from all relevant fields such as: 

.	Theoretical, computational and empirical neuroscience
.	Neural computation and adaptive systems
.	Networks science
.	Complexity science

We are especially interested in topics that address the influence of the
spatio-temporal embedding of networks and/or how relevant models from
different disciplines inform one another. 

Submissions should be 1 to 2 page extended abstracts conforming to ECAL2007
formatting guidelines. Authors of accepted abstracts will be asked to
present a poster on their work. 

All accepted submissions will be published in the proceedings of ECAL 07
workshops as a CD-ROM, which will be distributed to all delegates of the
conference on arrival. The possibility of combining extended versions of the
best submissions into a special issue of a journal is being pursued. 

Submissions should be emailed in pdf format to Andrew Philippides
(a.philippides AT sussex.ac.uk). Papers will be blind peer-reviewed by a
minimum of two members of the scientific programme committee. 

Important Dates

Paper submission deadline: May 25th, 2007 Notification of acceptance: June
8th, 2007 Camera-ready submissions: June 22nd, 2007

Organisers:

Chris Buckley (School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of
Southampton) Seth Bullock (School of Electronics and Computer Science,
University of Southampton) Andrew Philippides (Centre for Computational
Neuroscience and Robotics, University of Sussex)