Current computational neuroscience studies are often limited to a single scale or simulator, with many still relying on standalone simulation code due to computational power and technology constraints. Simulations incorporating biophysical properties and neural morphology typically focus on single neurons or small networks, while large-scale neural network simulations often resort to point neurons as a compromise to incorporate plasticity and cell diversity. Whole-brain simulations, on the other hand, frequently sacrifice details at the individual neuron and network composition levels. This workshop introduces recent advances leveraging the next-generation simulator Arbor, designed to overcome these challenges. Arbor enables seamless conversion from the widely used NEURON simulator, facilitates the study of functional and structural plasticity in large neural networks with detailed morphology, and supports multi-scale modeling through co-simulation, integrating microscopic and macroscopic levels of simulation. Arbor is a library optimized for efficient, scalable neural simulations by utilizing both GPU and CPU resources. It supports the simulation of both individual neurons and large-scale networks while maintaining detailed biophysical properties and morphological complexity. The workshop will feature presentations covering key aspects:
Effortless Transition from NEURON to Arbor - Dr. Beatriz Herrera - Allen Brain Institute, USA Introducing to the SONATA format, which simplifies the migration process and enables cross-simulator validation, ensuring a smooth transition to Arbor for researchers familiar with NEURON.
Structural Plasticity Simulations - Marvin Kaster & Prof. Felix Wolf - TU Darmstadt, Germany Presenting ReLEARN and Arbor’s capabilities in modeling distance-dependent structural plasticity, providing insights into structural changes.
Synaptic Plasticity - Dr. Jannik Luboeinski - University of Göttingen, Germany Showcasing Arbor’s capabilities in modeling calcium-based functional plasticity.
Multi-Scale Co-Simulation with TVB - Prof. Thanos Manos - CY Cergy-Paris University, France Demonstrating Arbor’s co-simulation with The Virtual Brain (TVB) platform, illustrating the study of epilepsy propagation as an example of multi-scale modeling.
The workshop will conclude with an interactive coding session, offering participants hands-on experience with Arbor and an opportunity to apply the presented concepts.
