Abstract: Brain is a complex network of neurons. Understanding how the properties of neurons, synapses and connectivity structure shape the brain activity is one of the key challenges in modern neuroscience. In my talk I will summarize when and how neuron properties affect the activity of a biological neuronal network. We have found that the effect of most neuron properties is contingent on their connectivity and the activity dynamics of the network. Neuronal networks in the brain share many properties with complex networks used to describe physical and social systems. Sometimes the similarity between social and neural networks is uncanny and the study of biological neuronal networks can provide very interesting insights; for e.g. when an individual can make a difference in a society. To establish a formal link between social and biological neuronal networks, inspired from the structure of biological neuronal networks, we developed a new generative model to describe the structure of a network of agentic nodes. This model gives new insights into understanding several social phenomena such as integration of migrants, or effect of economic stimulus packages.

Short Bio: Arvind Kumar is an Associate Professor of Computational Neuroscience at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Sweden. He is interested in understanding dynamics and the logic of information processing in neuronal networks in the brain. His work has unraveled principles of communication of information across brain regions. Currently, his group is investigating the functional and dynamical consequences of neuronal diversity and the interplay of network connectivity and network dynamics. In addition, he is developing mathematical models of brain diseases (e.g. Parkinson’s disease). Arvind Kumar studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering and obtained a Masters in Engineering degree from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India. In 2002 he moved to Germany to pursue his doctoral research in neuroscience and obtained a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from the University in Freiburg, Germany in 2006. After a postdoctoral research training at Brown University, Providence, USA in 2008 he joined the Bernstein Center Freiburg as a junior group leader. In 2015 he moved to KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Sweden. He spends his free time either playing or watching Cricket and analyzing Cricket related data. More info: https://arvkumar.github.io/