Sama Ahmed received a UW Royalty Research Fund award to study robustness of biological neural networks
Sama Ahmed received a UW Royalty Research Fund award titled: Uncovering Rules for Robustness in Biological Neural Networks. Brains are resilient to some, but not all, forms of damage. Uncovering the rules for such robustness is critical for deciphering how brain circuits maintain functionality in the face of injury and aging. Our preliminary data show that removing most neurons minimally alters network dynamics—the network is ‘robust’ to their removal. However, removing a handful of key neurons significantly disrupts network dynamics—the network is ‘fragile’ to their removal. This project aims to determine whether the particular connectivity pattern of a given neuron can predict whether the network will be robust or fragile to its removal.
The Royalty Research Fund (RRF) is a competitive awards program that provides research support to University of Washington faculty, and advances new directions in research, especially in disciplines for which external funding opportunities are minimal. The RRF is funded by royalty and licensing fee income generated by the University’s technology transfer program. Read more here: https://www.washington.edu/research/or/royalty-research-fund-rrf/.