Neural Control of Movement Satellite Meeting

Join us April 15th for the NCM Satellite Meeting “Artificial sensorimotor control from restoration to augmentation”. The Satellite meeting will be held at the Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik Hotel in advance of the annual Society for the Neural Control of Movement Meeting.

Artificial sensorimotor control from restoration to augmentation

The satellite is organized by:

Tamar Makin, Cambridge University
Hayriye Cagnan, Imperial College
Sergey D. Stavisky, University of California, Davis
Silvestro Micera, EPFL

The focal point of this meeting is the confluence of cutting-edge neurotechnologies designed to improve motor control, encompassing Deep Brain Stimulation, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Peripheral Nervous Stimulation, as well as non-invasive counterparts such as prosthetics and exoskeletons. We will explore the spectrum from the restoration of impaired motor functions to the augmentation of existing capabilities and consider the myriad of motor control mechanisms harnessed by neurotechnologies, as well as their potential implications and applications. We will provide an overview of the current state of artificial sensorimotor control and also provide insight into how these technologies can evolve to address future challenges when technological advancement and user-driven brain plasticity meet. The proposed satellite meeting thus represents a unique opportunity to navigate and chart the future of this rapidly evolving landscape in neural control of movement. 

In memoriam

This year’s NCM’s satellite meeting will be dedicated to honouring the extraordinary impact of Sliman Bensmaia, a titan in the realm of artificial sensorimotor control. In the intricate symphony of neuroscience, Sliman Bensmaia was both a maestro and a rockstar. Sliman’s pioneering work, from mapping the brain’s tactile blueprint to creating a prosthetic arm that fist-bumped a President, was underscored by his indomitable spirit and unyielding curiosity.  With the roaring spirit of a Harley rider and the uncompromising meticulousness of an artist tuning a grand piano to the perfect pitch, it’s not just the man of science we remember but the unforgettable man behind the science – the jazz enthusiast, the candid orator, the larger-than-life personality and the life of every party, who could out-drink the lot of us, leaving laughter and legendary tales in his wake at every NCM.

Call for Submissions

We are inviting abstract submission for the NCM 2024 satellite meeting, featuring a poster session highlighting advancements in artificial sensorimotor control.  In memory of our esteemed colleague, Sliman Bensmaia, we will award two $500 cash prizes for outstanding scientific and technical posters presented at the satellite.

Submission Guidelines

Submitters will be required to provide the following information for consideration through the online submission form:

  1. All abstracts must be submitted by the submission deadline of 23:59 PST February 19, 2024
  2. Title of the submission written in sentence case (capitalize the first letter of the title and lower case for all other letters unless required) and do not include a period (.) at the end of the title
  3. Whether the poster is a Technical or Scientific Poster
  4. Names and institutional affiliations/organizations of all authors in the order they should appear in the printed program.  Please do not enter names in all capital letters or all lowercase letters.
  5. The full name, institutional affiliation/organization, and email of the presenting author
  6. If the presenting author is a trainee or established scientist
  7. The final abstract (body of abstract) must be no more than 1500 characters (approximately 250 words)
  8. Avoid acronyms in the abstract

Submissions must be made via the button below prior to the submission deadline of 23:59 Pacific Standard Time February 19, 2024

Tentative Satellite Meeting Program

*Please note, program will be updated as confirmed

08:00 – 08:30

Registration


08:30 – 9:30

Scientific Keynote - Joe O'Doherty, Neuralink

Abstract to come


09:30 – 11:00

Session 1: Restoration

Elvira Pirondini, University of Pittsburgh

Giacomo Valle, University of Chicago

Ayesegul Gunduz, University of Florida


11:00 – 11:30

Coffee break


11:30 – 13:00

Session 2: Augmentation

Dani Clode, Cambridge University

Lorenzo Masia, Heidelberg

David Sussillo, Meta Reality Labs


13:00 – 14:00

Posters & Lunch


14:00 – 16:00

Session 3: Future Horizons

Maryam Shanechi, University of Southern California

Sumner Norman, Caltech

Francis Willett, Stanford University

Rylie Green, Imperial College London


16:00 – 17:00

Posters & Coffee break


17:00 – 17:30

Non-technical keynote - John Krakauer, Johns Hopkins University

Abstract to come


17:30 – 18:15

Motor augmentation and art: Stelarc

More information to come


 

Thank you to our satellite meeting sponsors