Prof. Haim Sompolinsky from the Hebrew University and Larry Abbott from Columbia University won the first prize for Neural Computational Sciences on behalf of the Israel Brain Technology Association

The value of the prize - 100 thousand dollars. The two won it for their groundbreaking research in building models for the human brain

Professors Haim Sompolinsky (Hebrew University) and Larry Abbott (Columbia University, USA) are the winners of the first annual Neural Computing Science Award on behalf of the Israel Brain Technologies Association (IBT).

The two prizes, in the amount of 100 thousand dollars each, were awarded to the winners of the first international brain conference held by the association in Tel Aviv. The award recognizes the contribution of the two researchers to the significant advancement of the understanding of neural mechanisms, behavior and thinking through the application of mathematical analyzes and the construction of theoretical models.

Mathematical analysis and the construction of theoretical models are essential tools that help define the enormous complexity of the brain's circuits, in theory for the conceptualization of the human brain. The Neuroscience Award of the Israel Brain Technologies Association (IBT) is designed to promote outstanding achievements in this field of brain research.

Prof. Haim Sompolinski is a pioneer in the field of neural computing. He specializes in building mathematical models that describe the collective behavior and information processing that occur in neural circuits in the brain.
The principles developed by Prof. Sompolinski contribute to the understanding of the systemic failures that occur in neurological diseases from epilepsy to psychiatric and developmental diseases.

According to Prof. Sompolinski: "It is a great honor for me to share the award with my friend, Prof. Larry Abbott and I am happy to receive the award. I thank my parents for instilling in my nervous system the love of science, the passion for research and the satisfaction of discovery. Thanks to my students and colleagues, including Prof. Hanoch Gutterfreud and the late Prof. Daniel Amit, who took the first steps from physics to neuroscience with me. Thanks to the groundbreaking developments we have achieved in neural technologies, the need for a theory that will reveal the principles behind the vast collection of data is more essential than ever."

Prof. Larry Abbott will receive the award for his decisive contribution in the field of developing a theory that describes the dynamics of a single nerve cell and the plasticity of the synaptic connections between different neurons. Among other things, his theory predicted the important temporal dependence of the plastic changes that happen in the synapses of the nerve cells.

According to Prof. Abbott: "The goal of neural computing science is to explain how the collection of processes that occur in the brain and their wealth of details, combine to produce a coherent perception of the world, rational thinking and skillful behavior."

The award was presented to the two researchers by Prof. Brett Sakmann, winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1991 and the chief scientific director at the Max Planck Institute in Florida, who said: "The award honors the pioneers of the field of neural computing, thus giving recognition and prestige to this important field."

In the future competitions, the award committee will consist of the winners and hence Abbott and Sompolinki will join the award committee starting next year.