Prof. Bing Brunton, University of Washington

Brains and nervous systems evolved jointly with the bodies they inhabit. To understand brains, behavior, and intelligence, we must embrace the embodied nature of neural computation. In this talk, I will describe some ongoing collaborative work towards putting dynamic models of brains as controllers inside the bodies they evolved to sense and actuate, so that these virtual animals will be capable of interacting with simulations of their environment. These efforts are currently closest to fruition in the fruit fly. Here, we are working with collaborators to develop tools to interface simulations of connectomes---at the resolution of cells and synapses---in feedback with muscle actuators, neural transduction sensors, and whole-animal biomechanics. As one example of what this approach can reveal, I will present our recent work developing connectome simulations of the fly ventral nerve cord (VNC) to identify a putative central pattern generator (CPG) circuit for walking. We used these simulations as a platform for computational screens that would be impossible in a biological experiment. This allowed us to isolate a core CPG circuit of only 3 neurons that is sufficient to generate leg motor rhythms. In ongoing work, integrating simulations of connectomes with physically realistic body models will allow us to investigate active behavioral sequences and how specific recurrent neural circuits support robust, embodied intelligence in animals.