Modern Approaches to Behavioural Analysis
November 2024
Applications will open soon
COURSE OVERVIEW
The goal of neuroscience is to understand how the nervous system controls behaviour, not only in the simplified environments of the lab, but also in the natural environments for which nervous systems evolved. In pursuing this goal, neuroscience research is supported by an ever-larger toolbox, ranging from optogenetics to connectomics. However, often these tools are coupled with reductionist approaches for linking nervous systems and behaviour.
This course will introduce advanced techniques for measuring and analysing behaviour, as well as three fundamental principles as necessary to understanding biological behaviour: 1. morphology and environment; 2. action-perception closed loops and purpose; and 3. individuality and historical contingencies (1).
Focusing on the tool DeepLabCut, students will analyse either their own original video dataset or datasets of general interest and have the opportunity to practice tracking, pose estimation, action segmentation, kinematic analysis and modeling of behaviour.
[1] Gomez-Marin, A., & Ghazanfar, A. A. (2019). The life of behavior. Neuron, 104(1), 25-36
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
By the end of the course, you will:
be familiar with modern and historical frameworks for studying the behaviour of living biological systems
practice methods for carefully and precisely observing and defining behaviours
understand the limits and capabilities of computer vision
develop an intuition for how to build experimental setups that can take advantage of tools such as DeepLabCut
This course promotes open-source software. We encourage students to try new ideas, share insights, and connect with open-source community.
FACULTY
DIRECTORS
Alexander Mathis
Course Director (EPFL, CH)
Danbee Kim
(Matter Neuroscience, UK)
TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Every year we have an amazing group of ONLINE Teaching Assistants who remotely help the students as they work on the course activities. Past TAs have been selected from institutes such as Champalimaud Foundation in Portugal, The Francis Crick Institute in the UK and the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina (add here text).
We also have ONSITE Teaching Assistants who organise in-person courses in several cities around the World in synchrony with the online course. This is a unique opportunity to get direct tutoring and to take the course alongside other students. Each year we publish the Teaching assistants and list of cities when applications are open.
VIDEO LECTURES
The online lectures have been developed by Alexander Mathis (EPFL, CH), and the help of Danbee Kim (Matter Neuroscience, UK) (please add here names). Keynote lectures were kindly provided by Nicola Clayton (Cambridge University, UK) and Ole Kiehn (Copenhagen University, DK). Additional guest lectures were prepared by Johanna T Schultz (USC, AU), Caleb Weinberg (Harvard Medical School, USA), and Nacho Sanguinetti (Harvard University, USA)
COURSE DESIGNERS
This course was brought to life thanks to the remarkable work of Alexander Mathis (EPFL, CH), and the help of Danbee Kim (Matter Neuroscience, UK) (please add here names).
PROGRAMME
Day 1 – What is animal behaviour?
You will learn:
Historical and current theoretical frameworks for the study of behaviour in living biological systems
Practical exercises for training skills in observing and defining behaviours
Day 2 – Tools for modern-day ethology
You will learn:
Fundamentals of video recording, computer vision, and deep learning
Introduction to DeepLabCut
Creating a tailored DeepLabCut model for your data or data shared by us.
Day 3 – Training computers to see as we see
Multi-animal tracking
Live tracking
Evaluating, utilizing and optimizing your DeepLabCut model from day 2
Day 4 – Analysis by eye and by computer
Movement kinematics in living biological systems
Action segmentation – when does a behaviour start and end?
Analyse original video dataset of behaviour
Joint neural and behavioral analysis
Day 5 – Working on your data and discussion
Advanced DLC topics and potential pitfalls
Keep analyzing data and student presentations
APPLY
Applications are closed but you can express your interest in the next edition by clicking on the button below and filling in the form.
Registration fee
Individual: 500€ per person (includes shipping of the course kit, pre-recorded and live lectures before and during the course, full attendance to the course, and course certificate).
Group: 500€ for one person and one course kit + 150€ for any additional person (without the course kit)
Stipends (waived partial or full registration fee).
SPONSORS
This course has been kindly supported by the following sponsors and partners:
