Talk Title: Embodied intelligence: From connectomes to body models

Abstract: Brains and nervous systems evolved jointly with the bodies they inhabit. To understand brains, behavior, and intelligence, we must embrace the embodied nature of neural computation. In this talk, I will describe some ongoing collaborative work towards putting dynamic models of brains as controllers inside the bodies they evolved to sense and actuate, so that these virtual animals will be capable of interacting with simulations of their environment. These efforts are currently closest to fruition in the fruit fly. Here, we are working with collaborators to develop tools to interface simulations of connectomes---at the resolution of cells and synapses---in feedback with muscle actuators, neural transduction sensors, and whole-animal biomechanics. As one example of what this approach can reveal, I will present our recent work developing connectome simulations of the fly ventral nerve cord (VNC) to identify a putative central pattern generator (CPG) circuit for walking. We used these simulations as a platform for computational screens that would be impossible in a biological experiment. This allowed us to isolate a core CPG circuit of only 3 neurons that is sufficient to generate leg motor rhythms. In ongoing work, integrating simulations of connectomes with physically realistic body models will allow us to investigate active behavioral sequences and how specific recurrent neural circuits support robust, embodied intelligence in animals.

Bio: Bing Wen Brunton is a Professor of Biology and the Richard & Joan Komen University Chair at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she is also affiliated with the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and Dept. of Applied Mathematics. She has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Princeton and a B.S. in Biology from Caltech. Bing's research sits at the intersection of neurobiology, computational science, and animal behavior; she uses computational modeling to study how brains and bodies work together to produce adaptive natural behavior. Her work has been recognized with awards and honors, including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience (2016), a UW Innovation Award (2017), a Young Investigator Program award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2018), and as a Weill Neurohub Investigator (2020). Outside of the lab, Bing enjoys painting in watercolor to explore the connections between form, flow, and function.

Followed by a reception with food and drink in 3^rd floor atrium