[This is the old program from WS 2007/08. The current program and contact information can be found here.]

05 October 2007, 16:00

Atsushi Tero (Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan)
Traffic-adaptive networking by a real amoebae of Physarum [Abstract] 

Toshiyuki Nakagaki (Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan)
Amoebae anticipate periodic events [Abstract] 

12 October 2007, 16:00

Takao Ohta (Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Japan)
Turing patterns in three dimensions [Abstract] 

02 November 2007, 16:00

Karsten Kruse (Theoretische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes)
Active behavior of the cytoskeleton [Abstract] 

09 November 2007, 16:00 Haber-Villa

Peter Tass (Institut für Neurowissenschaften und Biophysik, Forschungszentrum Jülich)
Model based development of desynchronizing brain stimulation techniques  

Abstract:
Within the last standard high-frequency (HF) deep brain stimulation became the standard therapy for medically refractory movement disorders. HF deep brain stimulation has been developed empirically, mainly based on observations during neurosurgical procedures. In contrast, to overcome limitations of standard HF deep brain stimulation, we use a model based approach. To this end, we make mathematical models of affected neuronal target populations and use methods from statistical physics and nonlinear mathematics to develop mild and efficient control techniques. For this, along the lines of a top-down approach we test our control techniques in oscillator networks as well as neural networks. In particular, we specifically utilize dynamical self-organization principles and plasticity rules. In this way, we have developed multi-site coordinated reset (MCR) stimulation, an effectively desynchronizing brain stimulation technique. The goal is not only to counteract pathological synchronization on a fast time scale, but also to unlearn pathological synchrony by therapeutically reshaping neural networks. We examined the effects of MCR stimulation in seven patients with severe PD or essential tremor during the first week after electrode implantation with our novel portable brain stimulator. According to our theoretical predictions, in all seven patients epochs of MCR stimulation caused pronounced therapeutic effects, which outlasted MCR stimulation during the whole post-MCR observation period prior to dismissal (i.e. during at least four days), even in patients with severe fluctuations. Current delivery of MCR stimulation was considerably smaller compared to HF stimulation.

30 November 2007, 16:00

Pablo Kaluza (Fritz-Haber-Institut der MPG)
Evolutionary design of complex functional networks [Abstract] 

14 December 2007, 16:00 Haber-Villa

Hans-Günther Döbereiner (Institut für Biophysik, Universität Bremen)
Dynamic Phase Transitions and Collective Modes in Cell Spreading [Abstract] 

18 January 2008, 16:00

Hiroya Nakao (Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin)
Phase coherence in an ensemble of uncoupled nonlinear oscillators induced by correlated noise [Abstract] 

08 February 2008, 16:00

Stefan Luther (Max-Planck-Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation, Göttingen)
Noninvasive adaptive multisite pacing of the heart [Abstract] 

22 February 2008, 16:00

Wolffram Schröer (Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Universität Bremen)
Criticality and corresponding states in ionic systems [Abstract]