This year's guest is Prof. György Buzsáki (Biggs Professor of Neuroscience, NYU School of Medicine).

Over the past four decades, Prof. Buzsáki has built a body of work that defines modern systems neuroscience. His research on hippocampal and cortical circuits established the importance of neuronal oscillations — including theta rhythms, gamma cycles, and sharp-wave ripples — as the temporal framework for cognition. He has shown how these rhythms coordinate information flow, enable memory consolidation during sleep, and underlie the brain’s predictive coding of the world. Author of the influential book Rhythms of the Brain, Prof. Buzsáki continues to inspire multiple generations of scientists in neuroscience and beyond.

In this year’s Talking Science program, participants will be able to meet Prof. Buzsáki in small groups, join roundtable discussions on career choices and scientific trajectories, and attend his keynote lecture. The event provides a unique opportunity to engage with a leading figure in neuroscience..

Please sign up for events here! Places are limited, so secure your spot early!

Tuesday 16 December

12:30–13:30 — Martinsried

Lunch with students
An informal lunch with Prof. Buzsáki and 6-10 students; a chance to chat in a relaxed setting.

14:00–15:30 — GSN seminar room (D00.003), LMU Biocenter Martinsried

Open discussion forum: Choosing a career today
A forum for open conversation on career paths in science, challenges, and opportunities.

16:00–17:30 — GSN student room (B00.051), LMU Biocenter Martinsried

1-on-1 student meetings
Personal meetings with Prof. Buzsáki to discuss your own research and ideas (20-minute slots). Please sign up early, as places are limited.

Wednesday 17 December

09:00–10:30 — GSN seminar room (D00.003), LMU Biocenter Martinsried

Roundtable discussion with students
A group discussion focusing on Buzsáki's scientific contributions and insights.

11:00–12:30 — GSN seminar room (D00.003), LMU Biocenter Martinsried

Roundtable discussion with students
A group discussion focusing on Buzsáki's career and his advice for young researchers today.

12:30–13:30 — Martinsried

Lunch with students and postdocs
Another informal lunch.

14:00–15:30 — GSN student room (B00.051), LMU Biocenter Martinsried

1-on-1 student meetings
Additional personal meeting slots.

17:00 — Large lecture hall (B00.019), LMU Biocenter Martinsried

Keynote lecture: From Actions to Cognition in the Hippocampal System
A public lecture open to the broader scientific community.

19:00 — Martinsried

Dinner with students
A social dinner to round off the visit.

2024

Eve Marder (Brandeis University)

2022

Peter Dayan (Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics)

2021

Ilana Witten (Princeton University)

2019

Adrienne Fairhall (U Washington)

2018

Matteo Carandini (UCL)

2017

Christof Koch (Allen Institute for Brain Science) - cancelled

2016

Gina Turrigiano (Brandeis University)

2015

Gilles Laurent (MPI for Brain Research)

2014

Ed Boyden (MIT)

2013

Larry Abbott (Columbia University)

2012

Nikos Logothetis (MPI for Biological Cybernetics)

2011

May-Britt Moser (Kavli Institute of Systems Neuroscience)

2010

Karel Svoboda (Janelia Research Campus)

2009

Markus Meister (Caltech)

Talking Science is made possible through the generous support of the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich and organized by:

• Jonathan Gant (LMU)
• Elizabeth Herbert (TUM)
• Carlos Gomez-Guzman (MPI for Biological Intelligence)
• Lukas Meyer-Olbersleben (LMU)