Pedro-Feb 29

Dr. Pedro Valdes-Sosa, will be our Distinguished Lecturer on Monday February 29th.  His lecture is estimated to be first time in over 50 years that a Cuban neuroscientist has visited and lectured on the University Park Campus.  As such, Dr. Valdes-Sosa’s visit is expected to be a significant event for our university.

Dr. Valdes-Sosa studied medicine at the University of Havana and graduated in 1972. He also studied Mathematics in 1973. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1978 . In 1979 he undertook his postdoctoral training on “Neurometrics and Computational Techniques” and “Biophysical Modeling of brain electrical activity” with Prof. E. Roy John at the Brain Research Lab of New York University USA. In 2011 obtained his Doctor in Science degree.

He is a senior professor of the Higher Institute for Medical Sciences, full member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, full member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences, associate member of the International Center for Theoretical Physics. He has also been invited professor of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics of Japan, invited researcher of the Brain Science Institute of RIKEN, Japan and Honorary Professor of UCL. 2010 Head of Overseas Team of Talent Introducing Base for Neuroinformation (111 Project) China. 2011 Visiting Professor for Senior International Scientific of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.  In addition, he has been Ph.D. advisor of 14 doctoral students. At present he is Distinguished Professor of Neuroinformatics of the Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and ex officio Program Chair of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping.

During his NGP lecture in the Hedco Auditorium, he will provide an overview of his research on neural signal oscillations as measured using both fMRI and electromagnetic brain imaging methods and the computational approaches needed to characterize these signals in health and in disease.  Following his NGP lecture, he will also be giving a University Lecture in the Seeley Mudd 123 Lecture Hall at 7pm on the role of science for enriching the emerging new relationship between Cuba and the United States following five decades of economic embargo and political isolation.  All interested NGP students and faculty are welcomed to attend.  Reception to follow.