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 CSE 528 Syllabus and Schedule
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    Textbooks: We'll be covering selected topics from the Dayan and Abbott textbook, supplemented by topics and Matlab code from the Anastasio textbook (especially in the latter half of the course). We will also have guest lectures on these topics from experts here at UW (see schedule below).

Here's a tentative list of topics (chapters refer to the Dayan and Abbott textbook):

  • Basic Neurobiology
  • Neural Encoding: Spikes, Firing Rates, and Receptive Fields (Chapters 1-2)
  • Neural Decoding and Population Codes (Chapter 3)
  • Information Theory (Chapter 4)
  • Single Neurons: Integrate-and-Fire and Compartmental (Chapters 5-6)
  • Network Models: Feedforward and Recurrent Networks (Chapter 7)
  • Synaptic Plasticity and Learning (Chapters 8-10)
Many but not necessarily all of these topics will be covered (as time permits). Here's the tentative schedule (guest lecture dates subject to change!):

Date Topic Reading Presenter
March 29 Introduction and Basic Neurobiology Lecture slides Raj
March 31 Neural Encoding:
Spike trains, firing rates, receptive fields, reverse correlation		 Chaps. 1 and 2 Adrienne
April 5 Functional Models of Neural Computation Chap. 2 Adrienne
April 7 Neural Decoding, Signal Detection Theory, and Bayesian Inference Chap. 3 Adrienne
April 12 Guest Lecture: Noisy Integration and Signal Detection Lecture slides Fred Rieke (PBIO)
April 14 Information Theory and Neural Coding Chap. 4 Adrienne
April 19 Biophysical Modeling of Single Neurons and Synapses Chap. 5 Adrienne
April 21 Dendritic Computation Chap. 6 Adrienne
April 26 Dynamics of Single Neurons Chap. 6 Adrienne
April 28 Network Models Chap. 7 Raj
May 3 Recurrent Networks Chap. 7 Raj
May 5 Dynamics of Neural Populations (Guest Lecture) Lecture slides Eric Shea-Brown (AMATH)
May 10 Learning Networks Chap. 8 Raj
May 12 Unsupervised Learning Chap. 10 Raj
May 17 Supervised Learning Lecture slides Raj
May 19 Reinforcement Learning Chap. 9 Raj
May 24 Motor Control and Learning I (Guest Lecture) Lecture slides Emo Todorov (CSE/AMATH)
May 26 Motor Control and Learning II (Guest Lecture) Lecture slides Emo Todorov (CSE/AMATH)
May 31 Decision Making (Guest Lecture) Lecture slides Mike Shadlen (PBIO)
June 2 Course Summary Lecture slides Adrienne & Raj
June 9, Thursday, 10:30-12:20pm Group project presentations (written reports due June 9 midnight) Student teams

CSE logo Department of Computer Science & Engineering
University of Washington
Box 352350
Seattle, WA  98195-2350
(206) 543-1695 voice, (206) 543-2969 FAX
[comments to rao@cs.washington.edu]