What is Neuroinformatics ?

Neuroinformatics attempts to synthesize the diverse and complex information emerging in neuroscience by integrating tools generated in information science.

The three principal aims of neuroinformatics are :

1. To optimize the accumulation, storage, and sharing of vast amounts of primary data and of large, structured neuroscience databases. As described above, the data are of an enormous diversity. The most immediate goal is to develop standards and mechanisms for sharing the vast amount of data among researchers.
2. To develop tools for manipulating and managing the data. Although many relevant techniques have already been developed in other fields, the neuroscience community must collectively design and develop special-purpose analytical tools and algorithms that are optimal for their needs. It is likely that, in the near future, large databases will play a similar role in neuroscience as they already do in genomics, where the existence of very large bodies of data, and of tools to navigate and manipulate these data, leads to breakthroughs in understanding and important commercial applications linked to human health. It is anticipated that some of these tools will, in turn, be of great benefit to researchers in various branches of the information sciences as they deal with problems (such as machine learning, robotic task planning, etc.) that are related to brain function in humans and other organisms.
3. To create computational models of brain structure and function that can be validated using the data. As in all of science, the understanding of the systems and phenomena under study involves the development of models that are not just descriptive but predictive and explanatory as well. In this case, the systems and phenomena are among the most difficult to model: from the molecular--/--cellular up to perception, learning, memory, reasoning, etc. The only way to validate models of these sophisticated phenomena is through confrontation with the data sets of neuroscience, using tools developed via neuroinformatics.

The three principal aims of neuroinformatics

• Toward the creation of Astro Boy's Brain, RIKEN NEWS Frontlines, August 2007

Neuroinformatics research and workshop reports

• Report:Scope for the Utilization of Metadata on Neuroinformatics Contents (Fiscal 2006)[in Japanese]
• Report: Survey Report on the International Activities of Neuroinformatics and Related Database (Fiscal 2006)[in japanese]
• Report: Research report for neuroinformatics based on international cooperation (Fiscal 2004)[in Japanese]
• Workshop: International Workshop on Neuroinformatics (December 1, 2004)
• Workshop: Neuroinformatics Research in Vision (December 4, 2003)
• Report: Trend report for neuroinformatics (Fiscal 1999)[in Japanese]