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The Virtual Brain Node: Personalized Simulations for Cognitive Neuroscience
SFU’s Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (INN) invites you to an in-person, one-day workshop on March 6, 2026, from 9am to 5:30pm, held in conjunction with the Cognitive Neuroscience Society 2006 Annual Meeting* in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
*Please note: registration for this workshop is separate from registration for the Cognitive Neuroscience Society meeting.
This workshop introduces participants to personalized brain network modelling using TheVirtualBrain (TVB)—an open-source platform for simulating large-scale brain dynamics grounded in empirical data. Designed for cognitive neuroscientists, the session combines conceptual foundations with hands-on experience.
What you’ll learn
Participants will gain practical experience with:
– Core principles of nonlinear brain dynamics
– TVB software architecture and workflows
– Building the components of a simple TVB simulation
– Tuning models and model parameter optimization
– Evaluating model performance and validity
– Applications of TVB in aging and pediatric research
Format and preparation
The workshop will include guided tutorials and hands-on exercises.
Pre-workshop preparation: To get the most out of the workshop, participants will receive pre-workshop materials via email.
Participants are asked to:
– Watch two recordings covering foundational introductory information for TVB
– Complete a brief pre-session survey
– Follow instructions to install the software environment container
– Clone the Git repository and run one cell in a Jupyter notebook to verify successful environment install
Technical support will be available prior to the session through online office hours, with additional in-person assistance offered 8-9am on the day of the workshop.
Registration
Registration closes: January 25, 2026 at 11:59pm
Space is limited—early registration is encouraged.
Attendance at this workshop requires separate registration and is not included with registration for the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) meeting. CNS registration is not required to attend the workshop.
To register, please use Eventbrite. If you prefer to register without Eventbrite or have questions, contact us at inn@sfu.ca.
Facilitators
Randy McIntosh, Director, INN & Co-Founder, TheVirtualBrain
Kelly Shen, Director of Operations, INN
Leanne Rokos, Research Technician, INN
Justin Wang, PhD Candidate, Simon Fraser University
