Deciphering the brain’s complexity requires more than experimental advances alone. Theoretical and computational neuroscience provide the essential frameworks for understanding how neural circuits give rise to behavior, cognition, and learning. In the emerging era of artificial intelligence, theory is more crucial than ever: AI offers powerful new tools and models, but properly harnessing its potential in neuroscience — and using insights from neuroscience to inform AI — demands a deep, principled understanding of biological and artificial systems.

The ELSC Theory Hub brings together researchers at the intersection of neuroscience, physics, mathematics, and machine learning. It fosters collaboration within the theoretical community and strengthens ties with experimental labs across the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and beyond. Our research spans from biophysical models of neurons and networks to computational theories of perception, learning, and decision-making, always seeking to bridge mathematical insight with biological reality.

The Hebrew University has long been a global leader in theoretical neuroscience. The Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation (ICNC), established in 1992, laid the groundwork for integrating physics, mathematics, and computer science with systems and cognitive neuroscience. This tradition continues at ELSC, where pioneering researchers such as Haim Sompolinsky — a 2024 Lundbeck Brain Prize laureate — helped shape the field. Building on this strong foundation, the ELSC Theory Hub advances a vision where theory drives discovery in brain science.