Prof. Haim Sompolinsky of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been awarded the Brain Prize for 2024, the largest and most prestigious international prize for brain research. The prize is awarded annually by the Lundbeck Foundation of Denmark.
Sompolinsky, who is also affiliated with Harvard University, is a physicist and pioneer in the field of theoretical and computational neuroscience, particularly in the study of neural circuit dynamics in the brain. His research has significantly contributed to understanding how neural circuits process and encode information, map the external world, and participate in learning and memory.
Sompolinsky shares the annual prize totaling 1.3 million euros ($1.4 million) with Prof. Larry Abbott of Columbia University and Prof. Terrence Sejnowski of the Salk Institute, who are also widely recognized for their groundbreaking work in computational and theoretical neuroscience, which applies physics, mathematics and statistics as tools for studying the brain and how it functions.
Haims work over more than 40 years has been instrumental in establishing theoretical and computational neuroscience as a cornerstone of modern brain research, said Richard Morris, chair of The Brain Prize selection committee.
Sompolinsky will be presented the Brain Prize medal by King Frederik on May 30 in Copenhagen, where he was born in 1949. The son of Danish and Hungarian Holocaust survivors who met in Sweden after the war, he is the third of 10 children, and the last to be born in Denmark before his family immigrated to Israel.
During the war, his father, Prof. David Sompolinsky, worked with the Danish Resistance to save 700 co-religionists from extermination by the Nazis, by arranging their escape to Sweden in October 1943.
Haim Sompolinsky as a young boy with his teacher, Rishon Lezion, 1954. (Courtesy of Sompolinsky family)
When asked whether his fathers work as a microbiologist inspired him to become a scientist, Sompolinsky said that while it is hard to know why someone goes into one profession or another, his father undoubtedly was an inspiration. The elder Sompolinsky modeled how a person could combine Orthodox Jewish observance with a deep love of science.
My fathers big library in our living room was a complete chaotic mix of Talmud, Torah and books of Jewish law. In the middle of this were books about mathematics, microbiology and physics. To me, it was a place where I could just pick up a book and read, Sompolinsky recalled.
There was no conflict between religious observance and a professional life in the sciences. I think I inherited from him the idea of leading a coherent lifestyle. I think that being a scientist enriches my religious experiences and insights and vice versa, he said.
In the following interview, edited for length and clarity, The Times of Israel asked Sompolinsky about how theoretical and computational neuroscience helps us understand the brain, where he sees the field going and his reaction to receiving the worlds largest prize for brain research.
The Times of Israel: Why did you decide to pursue research in neuroscience in particular?
Prof. Haim Sompolinsky: It was a matter of personal choice. Many of my physicist colleagues who, like me, worked on the theory of spin glasses branched out to problems in the areas of economics and other complex systems in physics. Some went into the fields of biochemistry or biophysics. For me, neuroscience and the brain presented a very attractive set of problems. Throughout my career, I have always chosen problems that I think are intellectually interesting and worthwhile. It was natural for me to go in the direction of neuroscience because there was a mesh between my interest in the problems and my abilities to contribute to [understanding] them.
Haim Sompolinsky and his wife Elisheva with their family on vacation in Holland, 2016. (Courtesy of Sompolinsky family)
Were you motivated by a desire to find cures for specific neurological diseases?
When we work on basic research, we all hope that it will contribute in the long run to the benefit of humanity, whether it is health, ecology, climate, energy or whatever. But Im a basic scientist and my area of excellence is thinking more about principles and fundamental problems. I dont think Id be very good at applied research, where the details and the short-term goals dominate the thinking and research. My primary interest has been to contribute to understanding the principles of brain function.
Brain research has different levels. Can you explain what these levels are in laymans terms?
People are more familiar with the experimental and empirical aspects of neuroscience. First, there is the molecular level. People often read about discoveries of genes or molecules in the brain. Then there is cellular neuroscience. There is very active and fascinating research in this area, including on the properties of single nerve cells and other cells in the brain aside from neurons.
Then comes the level of circuits, and above it the level of systems. Most of the work in theoretical and computational neuroscience is at the level of circuits and above. We dont study the theoretical principles of molecular neuroscience because, at the level of principles, molecular neuroscience is very similar to molecular biology. The DNA and the expression of proteins in molecules in brain cells are the same as in any other setting in the body. On the other hand, the circuit level is what is unique about the brain and more directly related to computation.
What are some examples of what we can understand by studying brain circuits and systems?
You can ask how a circuit stores information or how it encodes or retrieves memories. You can ask how the visual system in the brain performs cognitive functions associated with vision perception. How do we recognize somebody simply from visual signals? The primary focus of theoretical and computational neuroscience science is to try to understand the relation between the structure of the neurocircuits and the dynamics of the activation of the neurons and the function that comes out of it.
Hebrew University theoretical and computational neuroscientist professor Haim Sompolinsky with junior colleagues in Jerusalem, 2014. (Courtesy of Sompolinsky family)
Do theoretical and computational neuroscientists work on their own, or do they interact with neuroscientists who work in the lab?
Our goal is to make sense of experimental results and even make predictions about what can be expected based on our theoretical models. If you have a good idea, you have to be able to translate it to a concrete model, which means mathematical equations and algorithms and analyzing them. Then you can approach an experimentalist and say, hey, I have a great idea, and here are the predictions and lets see if they are right. By working this way with the experimentalist, we advanced the understanding of the brain.
What do you think will be the legacy that you and other pioneers in theoretical and computational neuroscience will leave to the next generation?
There are several legacies. Ill mention just a couple. First, I think we succeeded in establishing solid foundations based on physics and mathematics for theoretical neuroscience, which will largely remain relevant for future generations. What we started as research is now part of textbooks in the field.
Second, I believe the interdisciplinary nature of brain science research that developed due to our efforts will remain forever. Brain science is no longer just part of biology studies or medical school. Its too complex and important for humanity not to recruit all the intellectual and technical skills of disciplines in science and maybe also in philosophy. Most neuroscience institutes today are multidisciplinary, not only in terms of research but also education. The Hebrew University made a pioneering contribution to the development of multidisciplinary research in neuroscience, and I am very proud and grateful for that.
What are the more recent developments in computational neuroscience that will help carry the field forward?
An important and extremely active research area in neuroscience is artificial intelligence. It is an exciting new direction. We hope to integrate new ideas, tools and models coming from AI into experimental paradigms. AI is already showing its impact in the research of my group and that of others in the last 10 years.
On the technical side of neuroscience, the toolbox for researchers has grown exponentially in terms of devices, electronics, optics and more. With this, the amount of data that is accumulated in neuroscience has grown exponentially, and now we are talking about international observatories and centers that specialize in generating big data for neuroscience research and are open access.
The Brain Prize medal, designed by Georg Jensen. (The Lundbeck Foundation)
What does it mean to you to be awarded The Brain Prize?
It is very satisfactory and a personal honor. For me and my co-winners, it is an expression of the international national recognition of the central contribution and role that theoretical and computational neuroscience plays in contemporary brain research.
You are the first Israeli to be given this award.
Im humbled by my ability to bring honor to Israeli science, particularly at this time.
What does receiving this award from a Danish foundation at a ceremony in Copenhagen mean to you given your familys background?
We were always told about the king of Denmarks empathy and public expression of support for the Jewish community [during World War II]. My going to Copenhagen in a couple of months to receive the prize from the present king, who is a descendant of the wartime one, is going to be very moving.
- Unlocking Flow: The Neuroscience of Creative Bliss - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Revolutionizing Glioblastoma Treatment - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Decoding spontaneous thoughts from the brain via machine learning - EurekAlert - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Reducing Toxic AI Responses - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Advancing the neuroscience of human pregnancy - Nature.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Angela Bryan Awarded Hazel Barnes Prize | Psychology and Neuroscience - University of Colorado Boulder - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- How Old Are You in Your Head? The Neuroscience of Subjective Age Reveals How to Stay Mentally Young - Inc. - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Biohaven Showcases Innovative Neuroscience Portfolio with 20 Presentations at the 2024 American Academy of ... - PR Newswire - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Those Who Use Willpower Deemed More Trustworthy - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- How Sex and Gender Shape Our Cognition - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- War's Toll on the Brain: Widespread PTSD and Anxiety Among Ukrainians - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Paints and Pesticides Linked to ALS Risk - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- AI STORIES: A New Vision for AI and Narratives - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Neuroscience Breakthrough Unveils How We Learn and Remember - SciTechDaily - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Pregnancy's Toll: Accelerated Aging in Young Mothers - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Learning and Memory Formation's Molecular Basis - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Acetaminophen in Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism, ADHD Risk - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Childhood Loneliness Linked to Later Psychosis - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIGL) Expected to Post Q1 2024 Earnings of ($0.58) Per Share - Defense World - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) Diversity Grants 2024 Opportunity Desk - Opportunity Desk - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Hereditary Alzheimer's Transmitted Via Bone Marrow Transplants - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Household Chemicals Linked to Brain Health Risks - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Cheers to Longevity: Couples Who Drink Together, Live Longer - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sleeplessness Makes You Feel Up To Ten Years Older - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Aging Brain Cells Have Prolonged Death Process - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Anxiety Drives Wishful Thinking to Risky Levels - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Prolonged Progestogen Use Linked to Brain Tumor Risk - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- The Genetic Secrets of Neuron Formation - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Vigil Neuroscience Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Provides Business Update - Yahoo Finance - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Big research, little time: Medical neuroscience student wins 3 Minute Thesis finals - Dal News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- The new NeuroAI - Nature.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Exploring Aphantasia: The Mind Without a Mental Picture - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Altered Brain pH Linked to Cognitive Disorders - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Emotion vs. Reason: Rethinking Decision-Making - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- DNA Damage and Inflammation Key to Memory Formation - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Embracing Neurodiversity: Beyond Stigma to Strength - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Devil in the Details: The Visual World of Prosopometamorphopsia - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute receives $2M grant for ultrasound drug addiction treatments - Health Imaging - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Empathy Begins in Infancy - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Mapping Brain Activity with Brain-Computer Interface Technology - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Want Better Mental Focus? Neuroscience Just Found This Simple, Joyful Activity Helps Your Brain Concentrate - Inc. - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- The neuroscience of groove: Why certain rhythms make us want to dance - PsyPost - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- High Rates of Suicidal Ideation in Rural Black Men - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Harmony in Chaos: How BPD Influences Music Tastes - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute receives $2M Grant - WDTV - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Study Links Diet, Diabetes, and Alzheimers - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Neuroscience and Society Series: Aligning Science with the Public's Values - The Hastings Center - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Hardwiring Your Brain: The Neuroscience Of Behaviour Change | TheHealthSite.com - TheHealthSite - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Refined Carb Intake's Effect on Facial Attractiveness - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Linking Childhood Adversity to Adult Mental Health - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Overnight neuronal plasticity and adaptation to emotional distress - Nature.com - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Less Obesity and Depression in NPD Individuals - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Unlocking Creative Flow: How the Brain Enters the Zone - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Self-Control, Not Impulsivity, Paves the Way to Power - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- 3D Maps Reveal Molecular Complexities of the Brain - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Loneliness Linked to Personality Disorders - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Gen Z's Climate Anxiety: A Call for Action and Hope - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Decoding Emotions: Beyond Senses in the Human Brain - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Brain Circuit Balances Speech and Breath - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Schizophrenia and Aging Share Brain Changes - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Monitoring Spinal Cord Activity During Surgery in Real-Time - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Scientists team up with jazz musicians to reveal the neuroscience of creative flow - PsyPost - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Peer Pressure Persists Through Adulthood - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Mary Bartlett Bunge, 92, Dies; Pioneer in Spinal Injury Treatment - The New York Times - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Rethinking Reminiscence: Theater's Ageism Dilemma Unveiled - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- PTSD: Virtual Reality and Magnetic Stimulation Provide Relief - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- The Partisan Morality Divide: When Politics Shapes Right and Wrong - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Biological Sciences Professor Terrence Sejnowski Wins Brain Prize - University of California San Diego - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Pioneering work in computational and theoretical neuroscience is awarded the world's largest brain research prize - afp.com - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Substance Abuse Beyond Dopamine and Impulsivity - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Pioneering work in computational and theoretical neuroscience is awarded the world's largest brain research prize - Business Wire - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Dal study of football players sheds light on how concussions affect the brain - Yahoo Canada Sports - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Hebrew University's Haim Sompolinsky awarded prestigious Brain Prize for pioneering neuroscience research - The Times of Israel - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Harvard neuroscientist Haim Sompolinsky awarded Brain Prize - EurekAlert - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Rhythm in the Brain: Music Exposure Influences Rhythmic Interpretation - Neuroscience News - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Prestigious 2024 Brain Prize awarded to Hebrew University's Prof. Haim Sompolinsky by Lundbeck Foundation - EurekAlert - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Pioneering work in computational and theoretical neuroscience is awarded the world's largest brain research prize - EurekAlert - March 11th, 2024 [March 11th, 2024]
- Role of AI in Neuroscience Research and Understanding of the Human Brain - Medriva - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Healis selected to present at key biotechnology and neuroscience investor conferences in Amsterdam, New York, - EIN News - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Brain's Method for Preserving Cognition in Aging Revealed - Neuroscience News - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]