Heller Lecture Series in Computational Neuroscience

In 2002, Sir Michael and Lady Morven Heller, a generous and philanthropic couple from London, endowed a lecture series at ELSC with an annual sum of £15,000. This lecture series, called the Heller Lecture Series in Computational Neuroscience, has the primary aim of acquainting the interested public with recent and exciting developments in the world of brain research. On several occasions throughout the year, the Heller Lecture Series brings leading neuroscience researchers from around the world to visit the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and deliver two talks: a broad lecture for the general public and a more technical presentation at the ELSC weekly seminar. The series also provides ELSC members with the opportunity to engage personally with the guest speakers through shared activities, strengthening academic ties between institutions and exposing our students to leading international researchers and potential opportunities for their future careers.

The Heller Lectures cover a fascinating range of topics that reflect the diverse interests of ELSC researchers, including molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience, cognitive psychology, modeling, and neurophilosophy. Past Heller lecturers include Nobel laureates Edvard Moser and Bert Sakmann, Patricia Smith Churchland, Mickey Goldberg, Isabel Gauthier, Carla Shatz, Michale Fee, Arthur Konnerth, and Christof Koch. These lectures are a source of intellectual excitement for hundreds of attendees from across the country and, as such, the Heller Lecture Series has rapidly become one of the most prestigious at the Hebrew University.

All of us at the Hebrew University, and at ELSC in particular, are indebted to the Heller family for their vision and generosity, and for helping us all appreciate the miracle that is the human brain.