"Dynamics and Control of Pattern Formation in the Brain"

Steven J. Schiff, MD, PhD
Brush Chair Professor of Engineering
Professor of Neurosurgery
Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics

Abstract: "The spatiotemporal structure of brain oscillations are important in understanding neural function. We analyze oscillatory episodes from isotropic preparations from the middle layers of mammalian cortex which display irregular and chaotic spatiotemporal wave activity, within which spontaneously emerge spiral and plane waves. We seek to control such dynamics, and are constructing combinations of fundamental (Kalman filter) and empirical (proper orthogonal decomposition) state space representations of these dynamics in order to create a model-based framework for to understand and control these activities."