Workshop of Ideas in Neuroscience

Back to basics: what is a neuron?

Paris, June 3 – 5th 2026

We are happy to announce the first workshop in our new series: Back to basics!

The goal of this series is to have a fresh look at the basic assumptions held in our field

In the first workshop, we will ask the most basic question: what is a neuron? What properties should a cell shoould have to be defined as such? An answer to this question may seem obvious at first: it has to be a cell that uses electrical signals, is connected to other neurons by synapses and has extended processes, axons and dendrites.

But the deeper we dig, the more challenging counterexamples we encounter: clearly non-neural cells using action potentials, neurons without axons or dendrites, or whole nerve nets in jellyfish that form a syncytium. Even more exciting is the possibility that the nervous system – and neurons – evolved at least two times independently, and a lot of neuronal molecular machinery was already present before the evolution of animals.

Things are not easier in an artificial neural network: what is really a processing unit in an ANN? How does it correspond to a biological neuron, and what can we learn from those models?

The aim of this workshop would be to look closely at different ways of defining a biological or artifiial neuron and tackle some important questions:

  • Can we clearly define a biological neuron?
  • How many times neurons evolved? What the differences between different phyla tell us about the necessary and sufficient properties of a neuron?
  • What was an evolutionary precursor of a neural cell?
  • How do neurons relate to other types of cells that fulfil similar function?
  • What is a neuron in an artificial network? What properties does it share with a biological neuron?

This workshop will be held in the spirit of our Schools of Ideas—with an informal atmosphere, open exchange of thoughts and perspectives, in-depth talks and a lot of space for discussions.

Speakers:

Instructors:

  • Anna Chrzanowska (Paris Brain Institute)
  • Jules Duruz (COS, Heidelberg University)
  • Klara Finta (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin)
  • Natalia Krasilshchikova (Universität Bonn)
  • Mateusz Kostecki (Heidelberg University)
  • Azul Silva (Sorbonne University)
  • Urszula Wlodkowska (Nencki Institute)

Participation fee is EUR 380. You can find the application form HERE.
Application deadline: April 2nd.