Mission

The mission of The Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind is to better understand the brain by applying quantitative methods to uncover deep and meaningful structure in large neural datasets.

Columbia University’s Mind Brain Behavior Initiative (MBBI) places an emphasis on the design and application of rigorous, quantitative, and innovative methods to analyze the logic and workings of large neuronal networks, and the neural activities generated within these networks. Despite remarkable advances in the general area of neural circuit analysis, a more sophisticated understanding of the function of neural networks and their encoded behaviors depends on advances in two main areas:

First, the development of new tools that allow the experimenter to monitor the activity of large, interacting neural populations.

Second, the development and application of statistical techniques for inferring the internal logic that allows large neural populations to compute intelligently.

The Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind therefore focuses on advancing these two goals. The overarching goal is the development and application of new and rigorous quantitative methods that uncover the deep structure hidden in large complex neural datasets. The Center will foster collaboration across all schools and departments at Columbia and will place particular focus on the merger of computational statistics and experimental data acquisition.

The Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind is made possible through the generosity of the Sanford J. Grossman Charitable Trust.

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