Appl Math: Jon Rubin on "Mechanisms of temporal variability and precision in transient biological dynamics"

Title: Mechanisms of temporal variability and precision in transient biological dynamics

Speaker: Jon Rubin, University of Pittsburgh

Abstract: Understanding transient temporal effects—when events occur and how variable their timing is—represents a central challenge across biological systems.  This talk will present dynamical systems frameworks for understanding temporal variability, temporal precision, and input selectivity across two very different biological contexts. First, in predator-prey population cycles, I will discuss how stochasticity interacts with proximity to saddle points to generate substantial cycle period variability, as associated with population outbreaks. Second, in the context of neuronal responses to time-varying inputs, I will demonstrate the dynamical features underlying some selective response phenomena characteristic of brainstem auditory neurons.   Finally, in a setting that combines both periodic forcing and noise, I introduce the dynamic threshold curve (DTC), which captures how the geometry of excitable systems determines their phase-locking precision, which may contribute to the remarkable temporal accuracy of auditory neurons.

Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96618412691

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