BIO-693(10): State of the Art Topics in Neuroscience X

Summary

This symposium (Feb 16/17 2023) "What is memory? Molecular, cellular and computational answers" brings together leading experts in the field of learning and memory who will share their latest findings on the eternal question- What are memories made of? A broad range of approaches will be covered.

Official source

https://edu.epfl.ch/coursebook/en/state-of-the-art-topics-in-neuroscience-x-BIO-693-10

Moodle Page

http://go.epfl.ch/BIO-693_10

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Instructors (2)

Related concepts (33)

Related MOOCs (2)

Maria del Carmen Sandi Perez

ACADEMIC POSITION: Professor, Director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. EDUCATION: BS MS Salamanca, Spain, 1984 PhD Cajal Institute, CSIC, and University Autonoma of Madrid, Spain, 1988 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Postdoc at INSERM, Bordeaux, France, and Cajal Institute Madrid, Spain, 1989-1990 Postdoc at the Open University, UK, 1991-1992, 1996 Research Associate, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Madrid, 1993-1995 Associate Professor Tenured, UNED University, Madrid, 1996-2003 Sabbatical Professor, University of Bern, Switzerland, 2002-2003 Assistant Professor Tenure-Track, EPFL, 2003-2007 Associate Professor Tenured, EPFL, 2007-2012 Full Professor, EPFL, 2012- Director, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, 2012- PRINCIPAL BOARDS: President, European Brain and Behavior Society (EBBS), 2009-2012 Editor-in-Chief Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Member of Scientific Advisory Panel, European College Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Member of the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB) Associate Editor Frontiers in Neuroscience Editorial Board Member Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Editorial Board Member Journal of Psychiatry Research Editorial Board Member Stress Editorial Board Member Biology of Mood and Anxiety Disorders Editorial Board Member Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews

Johannes Gräff

Academic appointments 2013- Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute. 2009-2013 Postdoctoral fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. 2009 Postdoctoral associate, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), Zürich, Switzerland, Brain Research Institute. Education 2009 PhD in Neurosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), Zürich, Switzerland, Department of Biology, Brain Research Institute. 2005 Diploma (M.Sc. equivalent) in Biological Sciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Department of Ecology and Evolution. 1998 Matura, Gymnasium Type B, Kantonsschule am Burggraben St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, it would be impossible for language, relationships, or personal identity to develop. Memory loss is usually described as forgetfulness or amnesia. Memory is often understood as an informational processing system with explicit and implicit functioning that is made up of a sensory processor, short-term (or working) memory, and long-term memory.

A flashbulb memory is a vivid, long-lasting memory about a surprising or shocking event that has happened in the past. The term "flashbulb memory" suggests the surprise, indiscriminate illumination, detail, and brevity of a photograph; however, flashbulb memories are only somewhat indiscriminate and are far from complete. Evidence has shown that although people are highly confident in their memories, the details of the memories can be forgotten. Flashbulb memories are one type of autobiographical memory.

Memory consolidation is a category of processes that stabilize a memory trace after its initial acquisition. A memory trace is a change in the nervous system caused by memorizing something. Consolidation is distinguished into two specific processes. The first, synaptic consolidation, which is thought to correspond to late-phase long-term potentiation, occurs on a small scale in the synaptic connections and neural circuits within the first few hours after learning.

Autobiographical memory (AM) is a memory system consisting of episodes recollected from an individual's life, based on a combination of episodic (personal experiences and specific objects, people and events experienced at particular time and place) and semantic (general knowledge and facts about the world) memory. It is thus a type of explicit memory. Conway and Pleydell-Pearce (2000) proposed that autobiographical memory is constructed within a self-memory system (SMS), a conceptual model composed of an autobiographical knowledge base and the working self.

Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold information temporarily. It is important for reasoning and the guidance of decision-making and behavior. Working memory is often used synonymously with short-term memory, but some theorists consider the two forms of memory distinct, assuming that working memory allows for the manipulation of stored information, whereas short-term memory only refers to the short-term storage of information.