On 23 September, we invited Dr Daniel Muller-Komorowska to deliver a lecture on “Discovering Mechanisms of Neuronal Pathophysiology with Simulation-Based Inference”. In this lecture, Dr Muller-Komorowska provided an insightful overview of his research on applying simulation-based inference to study Neuroscience, including issues related to epilepsies.

Dr Muller-Komorowska began by highlighting the complex nature of epilepsies, emphasizing that they are a heterogeneous group of disorders with multiple, often patient-specific causes. He pointed out the limitations of experimental methods in capturing these multi-causal interactions, which led to the exploration of spiking neuronal network models as a more efficient approach.

The core of Dr Muller-Komorowska’s talk focused on recent advancements in simulation-based inference and their application to epilepsy research. He explained that these tools allow researchers to determine the distribution of parameters in a neuronal network likely to produce a given output, referred to as the posterior distribution.

Dr Muller-Komorowska then presented preliminary results of approximating posterior distributions. He discussed the interpretation of these distributions and their potential to generate valuable predictions for epilepsy research. This approach offers a promising avenue for understanding the complex, multi-causal nature of epilepsies and could lead to more targeted experimental designs and therapeutic strategies.

The seminar concluded with Dr Muller-Komorowska highlighting the potential impact of this computational approach on Neuroscience research, suggesting it could provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of these disorders and potentially guide future experimental and clinical efforts.

Dr Muller-Komorowska’s talk was well-received by the audience, sparking a lively discussion on the applications and implications of simulation-based inference in neuroscience research.