BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//132.216.98.100//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20.4// BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20250317T074228EDT-97392o4ZwS@132.216.98.100 DTSTAMP:20250317T114228Z DESCRIPTION:Brain-Wide Compositionality and Learning Dynamics in Biological Agents\n\nKanaka Rajan\, Harvard University\n Tuesday January 21\, 12-1pm \n Zoom Link:聽https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/89914150820\n In Person: 550 Sherbroo ke\, Room 189\n \n Abstract:聽Biological agents continually reconcile the int ernal states of their brain circuits with incoming sensory and environment al evidence to evaluate when and how to act. The brains of biological agen ts\, including animals and humans\, exploit many evolutionary innovations\ , chiefly modularity鈥攐bservable at the level of anatomically-defined brain regions\, cortical layers\, and cell types among others鈥攖hat can be repur posed in a compositional manner to endow the animal with a highly flexible behavioral repertoire. Accordingly\, their behaviors show their own modul arity\, yet such behavioral modules seldom correspond directly to traditio nal notions of modularity in brains. It remains unclear how to link neural and behavioral modularity in a compositional manner. We propose a compreh ensive framework鈥攃ompositional modes鈥攖o identify overarching compositional ity spanning specialized submodules\, such as brain regions. Our framework directly links the behavioral repertoire with distributed patterns of pop ulation activity\, brain-wide\, at multiple concurrent spatial and tempora l scales.\n Using whole-brain recordings of zebrafish brains\, we introduce an unsupervised pipeline based on neural network models\, constrained by biological data\, to reveal highly conserved compositional modes across in dividuals despite the naturalistic (spontaneous or task-independent) natur e of their behaviors. These modes provided a scaffolding for other modes t hat account for the idiosyncratic behavior of each fish. We then demonstra te experimentally that compositional modes can be manipulated in a consist ent manner by behavioral and pharmacological perturbations. Our results de monstrate that even natural behavior in different individuals can be decom posed and understood using a relatively small number of neurobehavioral mo dules鈥攖he compositional modes鈥攁nd elucidate a compositional neural basis o f behavior. This approach aligns with recent progress in understanding how reasoning capabilities and internal representational structures develop o ver the course of learning or training\, offering insights into the modula rity and flexibility in artificial and biological agents.\n DTSTART:20250121T170000Z DTEND:20250121T180000Z SUMMARY:QLS Seminar Series - Kanaka Rajan URL:/channels/channels/event/qls-seminar-series-kanaka -rajan-362481 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR