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AREADNE 2022 Research in Encoding And Decoding of Neural Ensembles Nomikos Conference Centre Santorini, Greece 28 June – 2 July 2022 |
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Registration has closed. We are full. No on-site registrations will be available.
We have finalized our COIVD policy. To attend AREADNE 2022, participants will have to show proof of vaccination, or of recent recovery from COVID-19, and wear masks inside the Nomikos Conference Centre. This policy is more stringent than what the Greek government is requiring.
Sign up for the Google Group for Official AREADNE Announcements to be sent email when there is news for the conference.
Site Overview
Introduction
A fundamental challenge in neuroscience is to understand how the activation of ensembles of neurons gives rise to the higher order functions of the brain including learning, memory, cognition, perception, action and ultimately conscious awareness. Over the past fifty years, electrophysiological recordings in behaving animals have revealed considerable information regarding what the firing patterns of single neurons encode in isolation, yet how collections of neurons interact to perform these functions largely remains a mystery.
Recent technological advances have provided glimpses into the global
functioning of the brain. These methods include multi-microelectrode
array electrophysiology, optical imaging and stimulation,
connectomics, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and genetic
manipulation. Such advances have expanded our knowledge of brain
functioning beyond the single neuron level into the realm of neural
ensembles, networks of neurons whose coordinated activity represent
and encode aspects of perception, thought, and action.
Gaining such insight on how neuronal ensembles carry information has enabled the development of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) to enhance the capabilities of patients with sensory or motor deficits. Particularly, research in how neuronal ensembles encode sensory stimuli has made it possible to develop perceptual BMIs for the hearing and visually impaired. Analogously, research in how neuronal ensembles decode motor intentions has resulted in motor BMIs, by which people with severe motor disabilities gain the ability to control external devices.
Conference Mission Statement
AREADNE Conferences have three major goals. First, to create a common touch-point for our widely disparate and hybrid field, by gathering global scientific leaders who work on neural ensembles. Second, to foster discussion and interaction between attendees and encourage the establishment of lasting professional relationships, through careful conference organization and planning. Third, to promote systems neuroscience in Greece, by creating a world-class forum for cutting-edge research.
Conference Location and Organization
The 2022 conference will take place on the Greek island of Santorini from
Tuesday through Saturday, 28 June - 2 July 2022, starting with an informal Welcome
Reception
the evening of Tuesday, 28 June 2022 -- this schedule is a day earlier
in the week than previous meetings. The
conference will be at
the Petros M. Nomikos Conference Centre
in the town of Firá (see photo to the right). The conference will be single-track. Morning talks
will be followed by a working lunch.
After an afternoon break, participants will reconvene for early evening talks
and poster presentations, ending in time for late dinner in accordance
with local customs. Although delegates arrive from around the world,
AREADNE speakers are selected primarily from the United States, Europe, and
the Middle East.
Submission of Poster Abstracts
We anticipate being oversubscribed for 2022 as in previous years, and so strongly encourage anyone who is considering attending the conference to submit a poster abstract. Accepted posters will have one registration reserved for the presenter. Other registration spots will be on a first come first served basis. We are typically able to accommodate only an exceedingly small number of delegates who are not a designated poster presenter. Please see our Call for Abstracts.
Registration and Fees
Conference fees
are
USD 500 for students,
USD 700 for post-docs,
USD 900 for faculty members or professionals, and
USD 1500 for on-site registrants, space permitting.
On-site fees are considered full price; the other levels are
discounted thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. Registration
fees are payable in USD by credit card. While we will endeavor to
keep registration fees as stated here, they are subject to change
without notice until registration has opened.
Registration fees cover coffee breaks, hot lunches, the Welcome Reception, the Gala Banquet, and an optional excursion. Attendance will be strictly limited by the capacity of the conference center. Registration is separate from proposal submission. Once registration has filled, a waiting list is established; at previous meetings, only a few people on the waiting list were eventually offered a registration spot. If the conference is full, on-site registrations will not be accepted.
COVID Policy. Detailed pandemic-related restrictions for the meeting will be established once the EU and Greek governmental policies have been set for the conference period. At present, we anticipate that masking and proof of full vaccination including boosters will be required.
Refund Policy. If you have registered but will be unable to attend, a full refund of the paid fees will be given until 31 May 2022, a 50% refund will be given from then until 14 June 2022, and no refund will be given after 14 June 2022.
Registration is open for presenters, and a waitlist has been started for non-presenters.
Important Dates
AREADNE 2022 will be Tuesday to Saturday, 28 June - 2 July 2022, starting Tuesday evening with a Welcome Reception. This schedule is a day earlier in the week than previous meetings.
| 2022-01-03 | Abstract submissions open |
| 2022-01-21 | Abstract submissions close |
| 2022-02-24 | Abstract notifications sent |
| 2022-03-02 | Registration opens (subject to change) |
| 2022-06-07 | Registration closes |
| 2022-06-27 | Suggested arrival date for intercontinental travelers |
| 2022-06-28 | Conference Welcome Reception (late PM) |
| 2022-06-29 | Conference opens (early AM) |
| 2022-07-02 | Conference closes (late PM) |
| 2022-07-02 | Conference Gala Banquet (late PM) |
| 2022-07-03 | Suggested departure date |
Attendees should plan to arrive in Santorini by 28 June 2022 (or the day before, especially for intercontinental travelers), and depart on or after 3 July 2022.
Accommodations
Many hotels are available in and around Firá and Firostefani, from inexpensive C class / two-star hotels to luxury A class / four-star caldera-view cave suites. The conference center is located 15 minutes by foot from the center of Firá, and a similar distance from much of Firostefani. We encourage conference attendees to follow the lead of the organizing committee, and stay in hotels that are walking distance from the Centre. Plan to arrive by Tuesday, 28 June 2022 if coming from Europe or Monday, 27 June 2022 if traveling intercontinentally, and depart Sunday, 3 July 2022.
We suggest booking your hotel room as early as possible.
Meals
Daily coffee breaks, lunches, and a Welcome Reception will be provided
at the conference center. Working lunches will be provided on three
of the four days. A Gala Banquet will be held at a local restaurant
on the final day of the conference. These meals are included in the
conference package for participants; guests are welcomed to the
Welcome Reception, and additional tickets are available for purchase
to bring guests to the Gala Banquet (tickets available during
on-line registration).
Breakfasts are typically included in hotel rates, or available with bookings for a nominal charge, and are thus not provided at the conference center. There is a wide selection of nearby restaurants for evening meals, and we anticipate making loosely organized excursions to different restaurants each evening, except the last, when we have the banquet.
Restaurant recommendations are available.
Activities on the island
In addition to sweeping vistas, Santorini boasts excellent nightlife, a respectable wine industry, beaches with white, black, or red sand, excavations of ancient civilizations, and magnificent sunsets. More information can be found in various travel guides, or on the Web. Good places to start are publications like The Lonely Planet and The Rough Guide guides for Greece, and web sites like Greek Travel Santorini, Santorini Island, and Travel to Santorini.
We are planning optional guided excursions to the archaeological site of Akrotiri and to Nea Kameni, the volcano island at the center of the caldera. These events may not be able to accommodate everyone.
Additional suggested activities are available.
Transportation
Air transportation to Athens International Airport
(ATH) is available through the major international airlines,
many discount companies, and numerous charter companies. Air
transport from Athens to Santorini
(JTR) is available multiple times per day and takes less than an hour. It
is usually possible to arrange flight schedules so that overnight stays in
Athens are not required when connecting to and from Santorini.
Sea passage from Athens to Santorini can be a relaxing experience and is recommended for the awe-inspiring approach to the port at the base of the immense caldera cliffs. Ferries for Santorini leave from the port of Piraeus, one hour's taxi drive away from the Athens airport, and from the town of Rafina, about 25 minutes by taxi from the airport in the other direction. Rail and express bus transportation are also available from the airport to the ferries in Piraeus.
Getting around on Santorini can be done by bus and taxi. Cars and mopeds are readily available for hire. The conference center is located in the town of Firá, and is walking distance to many hotels and restaurants, so having a motorized vehicle is not required.
More transportation information is available here.
Visa Requirements
European citizens have free Schengen access to Greece. Post-Brexit, UK citizens have visa-free travel to the Schengen zone for 90 days out of 180. United States citizens traveling on regular passports (excluding diplomatic and governmental passports) do not require visas for stays shorter than 90 days. Citizens of other countries will need to contact their home governments to determine visa requirements. We are happy to assist with visa letters for registered attendees.
Schedule
The schedule for the four-day conference follows the Greek lifestyle of
having a long lunch, afternoons free for siestas or swimming, and a late
dinner. To encourage participants to stay for the entire event, the detailed
speaker and poster schedule will not be available until the start of
the conference, even to the speakers and poster presenters. Unlike previous
meetings, our schedule for AREADNE 2022 spans Tuesday to Saturday.
All attendees should plan a stay that includes arrival on Santorini no later than Monday, 27 June 2022 for intercontinental travelers or Tuesday, 28 June 2022 for those arriving from Europe and the Middle East, and departure no earlier than the following Sunday, 3 July 2022.
Tuesday, 28 June 2022
19:30-22:00 Welcome Reception (wine and cheese) and Registration
Wednesday, 29 June 2022
08:00-08:30 Registration
08:30-12:30 Lectures and coffee break
12:30-14:00 Lunch
17:00-21:30 Lectures, coffee break, and poster session
Thursday, 30 June 2022
09:00-12:30 Lectures and coffee break
12:30-14:00 Lunch
17:00-21:30 Lectures, coffee break, and poster session
Friday, 1 July 2022
09:00-13:00 Optional archaeological and geological excursions
17:00-21:30 Lectures, coffee break, and poster session
Saturday, 2 July 2022
09:00-12:30 Lectures and coffee break
12:30-14:00 Lunch
17:00-19:30 Lectures and coffee break
21:00-24:00 Gala Banquet (full dinner)
By long-standing policy we do not release the detailed speaker or poster schedule before the start of the conference. (Why not?)
Confirmed Speakers
Our confirmed speakers include many global luminaries in the field of Computational and Systems Neuroscience.
| Sliman Bensmaia | University of Chicago |
| Claudia Clopath | Imperial College |
| Laura Colgin | University of Texas, Austin |
| Christine Constantinople | New York University |
| Ila Fiete | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Stefano Fusi | Columbia University |
| Jim Gnadt | National Institude of Neurological Disorders and Stroke |
| Adam Hantman | Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus |
| Elizabeth Hong | California Institute of Technology |
| Matt Kaufman | University of Chicago |
| Georg Keller | Friederich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research |
| Roozbeh Kiani | New York University |
| Vassiliki Nikoletopoulou | Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
| Maria Papadopouli | Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas |
| Clay Reid | Allen Institute for Brain Science |
| John Reynolds | Salk Institute for Biological Studies |
| Cristina Savin | New York University |
| Mark Sheffield | University of Chicago |
| Andreas Tolias | Baylor College of Medicine |
| Stefan Treue | German Primate Center |
| Nachum Ulanovsky | Weizman Institute |
Moderators
In addition to our expert speakers, we have an august list of session moderators to keep the discussions lively and interesting.
| David Freedman | University of Chicago |
| Leslie Osborne | Duke University |
| Barry Richmond | National Institute of Mental Health |
| Irini Skaliora | BRFAA |
| Ziv Williams | Massachusetts General Hospital |
Organizing Committee
| Dora Angelaki | New York University |
| Kenny Blum | Harvard University |
| Nicholas Hatsopoulos, co-chair | University of Chicago |
| John Pezaris, co-chair | Harvard Medical School |
| Panayiota Poirazi | Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas |
| Thanos Siapas | Caltech |
| Andreas Tolias | Baylor College of Medicine |
The Myth of Ariadne
We take the conference name AREADNE from the subtitle, Research in Encoding And Decoding
of Neural Ensembles, combined with the name of the mythological figure Ariadne.
Theseus, an Athenian hero, journeyed to Crete to slay the Minotaur, a half-bull, half-human creature. King Minos of Crete kept the Minotaur at the center of a large maze he built, known as the Labyrinth.
Minos' daughter Ariadne, after whom we've named the conference, gave Theseus a sword and a ball of silk thread, both of which had been given to her by Daedalus, designer of the labyrinth. Theseus tied one end of the thread at the entrance, unwinding the rest as he navigated the Labyrinth, so that after slaying the Minotaur, he could easily escape by following the thread back out.
Practical Information
We have assembled a body of practical information to guide planning for attending an AREADNE Conference.
Και τα λοιπά (Et Cetera)
AREADNE 2022 will be Tuesday to Saturday, 28 June - 2 July 2022, starting Tuesday evening with a Welcome Reception. This schedule is a day earlier in the week than previous meetings.
The language of presentation for AREADNE Conferences is English.
To be sent important email announcements about AREADNE 2022, please add yourself to the Google Group for Official AREADNE Announcements.
Internet access will be provided at the Nomikos Conference Centre only to a limited extent. This is a conscious decision to encourage attendees to participate in the conference rather than to be distracted by email and the Web. Internet cafes are readily available in Firá for emergencies and extended access. The response from attendees on this policy was overwhelmingly positive at all of our previous conferences.
Abstracts of all presentations will be published in the conference book that is provided to attendees during registration, and available as a downloadable PDF after the meeting. Copies from previous meetings are available on our archives page.
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions.
For additional information on other conference-related topics, please contact the Organizing Committee Co-Chairs, Nicholas Hatsopoulos and John Pezaris, at info@areadne.org.
Photographs on this site were taken on Santorini 2005-2021 by John Pezaris (except the satellite view published by NASA), to display the magnificence and austere beauty of the island. Click on any of them to view a larger version (and use the BACK button on your browser to return to the previous page). Images are copyrighted by the artist and are used by The AREADNE Foundation with permission.
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