Welcome to the QBI NEURON tutorial
NEURON is a powerful simulation environment, allowing the detailed simulation of the nervous system in a wide range of scales - from channels to individual neurons to networks of neurons. In addition to the thousands of studies that have used NEURON, it is also the simulation environment used for large-scale projects such as the Blue Brain/Human Brain Projects.
We are offering an introductory workshop based on the recommended tutorials as well as actual experience used in generating models for research publications. This is a one day workshop running through the basics of the NEURON interface then working up to loading experimental data and running simulations.
Installation
NEURON software is freely available from https://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/. Prior to the tutorial, please download and install NEURON on your system - you can refer to our Quick Setup.
Course syllabus
| Time | Lesson | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:30 | Introduction | 30 mins |
| 9:30-10:30 | A simple model (navigating the interface, using CellBuilder and running a basic model) | 60 mins |
| 10:30-10:45 | Morning tea | 15 mins |
| 10:45-12:00 | A complex model (loading a Neurolucida model with experimental data) | 75 mins |
| 12:00-13:00 | Lunch | 60 mins |
| 13:00-14:30 | A synaptic model (creating a model with HOC, simulating a synaptic input) | 90 mins |
| 14:30-14:45 | Afternoon tea | 15 mins |
| 14:45-16:30 | A simple network (connecting neurons, creating an event-driven network ) | 135 mins |
Acknowledgements
The course material is largely compiled from the online NEURON documentation as referenced here:
- Official NEURON documentation
- Neuron Tutorial from University of Edinburgh by Andrew Gillies and David Sterratt
- Neurons in Action by John H. Moore and Ann E. Stuart