Sensation, perception, memory and behaviour are all functions of the brain that are encoded in the neuronal network, determined by the connections that all neurons form (the connectome) as well as the activity of each neuron as an individual and as part of a larger ensemble.  Deciphering the brain's neuronal code in health and disease is one of the great challenges for the 21st century and maybe beyond.  For decoding the brain a wide variety of different approaches promise crucial insights. Linking the knowledge gained in the different research domains is yet difficult and requires an intermediate platform.

The central aim of the 1st European Neuroscience Conference by Doctoral Students (ENCODS) is to share current research in a variety of neuroscience fields, ranging from molecules, circuits and behaviour to computational models in the form of lectures, presentations, discussions and posters.  Special focus of the ENCODS is placed on PhD students learning how to present their results and discuss them within a wider scientific community.

The purpose of the ENCODS conference is not only to improve the understanding of current research but more importantly to look into the future by asking what needs to be done in the field next.  To this end, the ENCODS conference has three main scientific aims:

1.Offer doctorate students from Europe the  opportunity to participate in a scientific exchange that will suit their needs more than a large-scale event

2.To encourage the dialogue between scientists representing different domains of neuroscience

3.Discuss where we are in Neuroscience today and what the future challenges are

 In the following years the ENCODS will be held at a different host institute each year by a new group of PhD students providing a continuous opportunity for PhDs for their training, scientific exchange and fostering international collaborations already at an early stage of the career.  The scope of following conferences will change and be adapted to reflect the progress in the  field of neuroscience.

SPEAKERS

STEN GRILLNER (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm)
ALCINO SILVA (University of California, LA)
CHRISTOPHE MULLE (IINS Bordeaux)
ED CALLAWAY (Salk Institute San Diego)
ZACH MAINEN (Champalimaud Neuroscience Lisbon)
TROY MARGRIE (UCL London)
MARK VAN ROSSUM (Univ. of Edinburgh)
WINFRIED DENK (Max Planck Institute Heidelberg/Munich)
MIN CHO (Nature Neuroscience)
TOBIAS BONHOEFFER (Max Planck Institute Munich)