School on the Origins of Life, Behavior and Cognition

School on Origins is an interdisciplinary school that tackles the foundational questions concerning the origins of biophysical systems which include but are not limited to : molecular, cellular, neural and behavioral systems. We aim to find principles shared across systems using tools from statistical physics, mathematical analysis and numerical simulations to explore these questions. We have invited researchers that work both on the experimental and theoretical side to cover a variety of biophysical systems and theoretical approaches. The school is aimed at graduate students either at the master’s or PhD level who have a strong quantitative background and a keen interest to pursue interdisciplinary research.

We invite students pursuing degrees in physics, computer science, engineering, or mathematics. Those pursuing degrees in biology need to provide evidence of strong and extensive quantitative background in topics such as calculus, dynamical systems and numerical programming.

There is no registration fee and limited funds are available for travel and local expenses.

Organizers:

• Ahmed El Hady (Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Germany)
• Antonio C. Roque (USP Ribeirão Preto, Brazil)
• Daniel Y. Takahashi (UFRN, Brazil)

List of Participants: Updated on March 18, 2025.

 

Announcement:

Application deadline: January 5, 2025 (closed)

Lecturers

• Ana Amador (University of Buenos Aires,  Argentina): Biology and physics of birdsong production
• Randall Beer (Indiana University Bloomington, USA): Constitution and From Physics to Cognition in the Game of Life: Interaction
• Mauro Copelli (UFPE, Brazil): Collective Neuronal Behavior and the Critical Brain Hypothesis
• Asif Ghazanfar (Princeton University, USA): The Central Role of the Individual in the History of Brains
• Donald Katz ( Brandeis University, USA): Standard neuroscience assumptions and the dynamical alternative
• Bruno Mota (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): The physical origins of brain cortical morphology
• Manuel Schottdorf  (University of Delaware, USA): The topology and geometry of perception and knowledge
• Gandhimohan M. Viswanathan (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN, Brazil):  Lévy walks and search optimization: Free will, randomness and determinism in animal locomotion

 

Tutors:

• Thiago Varella (Princeton University, USA): Computational Approaches to Social Learning Across Timescales
• Renata Biazzi (Princeton University, USA): From Species Traits to Evolutionary Patterns: A Practical Guide to Phylogenetic Comparative Methods
• Albin Salazar (University of Konstanz, Germany): A role for formal languages to study natural and artificial collective systems

Abstracts HERE

Announcement:

Application deadline: January 5, 2025 (closed)

 

 The schedule might be changed.

 

2025-03-11

• 09:00 - Bruno Mota (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): The physical origins of brain cortical morphology - Class 1
• 10:45 - Bruno Mota (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): The physical origins of brain cortical morphology - Class 2

2025-03-12

• 09:00 - Manuel Schottdorf (University of Delaware, USA): The topology and geometry of perception and knowledge - Class 1
• 10:45 - Manuel Schottdorf (University of Delaware, USA): The topology and geometry of perception and knowledge - Class 2
• 14:00 - Manuel Schottdorf (University of Delaware): Insights from classical field theories for neural networks in the visual cortex
  • Abstract

2025-03-13

• 09:00 - Asif Ghazanfar (Princeton University, USA): The Central Role of the Individual in the History of Brains - Class 1
• 10:45 - Asif Ghazanfar (Princeton University, USA): The Central Role of the Individual in the History of Brains - Class 2
• 14:00 - Mauro Copelli (UFPE, Brazil): Collective Neuronal Behavior and the Critical Brain Hypothesis - Class 1

2025-03-14

• 09:00 - Mauro Copelli (UFPE, Brazil): Collective Neuronal Behavior and the Critical Brain Hypothesis - Class 2
• 10:45 - Donald Katz (Brandeis University): Standard neuroscience assumptions and the dynamical alternative - Class 1
• 14:00 - Donald Katz (Brandeis University): Standard neuroscience assumptions and the dynamical alternative - Class 2

2025-03-15

• 09:00 - Gandhimohan M. Viswanathan (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN, Brazil): Lévy walks and search optimization: Free will, randomness and determinism in animal locomotion - Class 1

2025-03-17

• 09:00 - Daniel Y. Takahashi (UFRN, Brazil): Emergence of vocal turn-taking in marmoset monkeys

2025-03-18

• 09:00 - Ana Amador (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina): Biology and physics of birdsong production - Class 1
• 10:45 - Ana Amador (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina): Biology and physics of birdsong production - Class 2

2025-03-19

• 09:00 - Randall Beer (Indiana University Bloomington, USA): Constitution and From Physics to Cognition in the Game of Life: Interaction - Class 1
• 10:45 - Randall Beer (Indiana University Bloomington, USA): Constitution and From Physics to Cognition in the Game of Life: Interaction - Class 2
• 14:00 - Ahmed El Hady (Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Germany): TBA

Attention! Some participants in ICTP-SAIFR activities have received email from fake travel agencies asking for credit card information. All communication with participants will be made by ICTP-SAIFR staff using an e-mail “@ictp-saifr.org”. We will not send any mailings about accommodation that require a credit card number or any sort of deposit. Also, if you are staying at Hotel Intercity the Universe Paulista, please confirm with the Uber/Taxi driver that the hotel is located at Rua Pamplona 83 in Bela Vista (and not in Jardim Etelvina).

BOARDING PASS: All participants, whose travel has been provided or will be reimbursed by ICTP-SAIFR, should bring the boarding pass  upon registration. The return boarding pass (PDF, if online check-in, scan or picture, if physical) should be sent to secretary@ictp-saifr.org by e-mail.

COVID-19: Brazilians and foreigners no longer have to present proof of vaccination before entering the country.

Visa information: Nationals from several countries in Latin America and Europe are exempt from tourist visa. Nationals from Australia, Canada and USA will be required to obtain a tourist e-visa for visits after April 10, 2025.

Accommodation: Participants, whose accommodation will be provided by the institute, will stay at Hotel Intercity the Universe Paulista. Hotel recommendations are available here.

How to reach the Institute: The school will be held at ICTP South American Institute, located at IFT-UNESP, which is across the street from a major bus and subway terminal (Terminal Barra Funda). The address which is closer to the entrance of the IFT-UNESP building is R. Jornalista Aloysio Biondi, 120 – Barra Funda, São Paulo. The easiest way to reach us is by subway or bus, please find instructions here.

Poster presentation: Participants who are presenting a poster MUST BRING A PRINTED BANNER . The banner size should be at most 1 m (width) x 1,5 m (length). We do not accept A4 or A3 paper.