1. Pathway to a GW4 collaboration Brain networks in health and disease

2. GW4 Initiator - Partners Dr Marc Goodfellow (Exeter) - Lecturer in Maths –use of mathematical models to understand complex biological networks in diseases such as epilepsy Dr Matt Jones (Bristol) - Reader in Cognitive Neurophysiology –In vivo recording of rhythmic neuronal activity in cognitive processes and behaviour using animal models of AD, schizophrenia and Downs syndrome Professor Vincenzo Crunelli (Cardiff) - Professor of Neuroscience –cellular and network mechanisms in the thalamus and cortex during sleep and absence epilepsy using in vitro and in vivo models. Me (Bath) - Professor of Neuropharmacology –understanding mechanisms of cortical network excitability in normal and pathological conditions such as epilepsy

3. Original proposal …….to set up a series of meetings through which we can develop novel collaborations to study large scale networks in health and disease… …including, but not limited to theoretical, clinical, and experimental research into large scale brain networks underlying memory formation, learning, sleep, dementia, epilepsy, schizophrenia and stress… ….exploring these networks in an iterative way using theoretical and experimental approaches to reveal novel insights into …brain dysfunction… ……to apply for £20K for a series of 4 workshops, set across the 4 institutes… WWe actually applied for £14,560 a one day workshop and a two day retreat FFunding approved in September – to be spent by December!

4. The initiator application 1. Name of proposed GW4 Community 2. Applicants 3. Start date - end date - amount requested 4. Please outline the research opportunity or grand challenge area that you intend to address through this collaboration and why 5. Please describe how you intend to use the funding - detailing what activities, their anticipated occurrence and the anticipated outcome of your activity 6. Please describe the current position of your collaboration 7. Costs Done in about 10 days via email

5. Initiator Assessment Panel Chair: Nick Talbot (Exeter) Panel Members Jeremy Tavare(Bristol)Biochemistry Lorna Colquhoun(Bristol)RDO Jane Boggan(Cardiff)Strategic Development Malcolm Mason(Cardiff)Medicine Jonathan Knight(Bath)Physics Tim Ibell(Bath)Architecture Anne Barlow(Exeter)Law Andrew Thompson(Exeter)History

6. The first event ~40 participants - only 2 from Bath, 4 from Cardiff, 8 from Exeter Structured and externally facilitated to derive focused project areas 3 principal areas identified by popularity! –Oscillations and network structure in health and disease –Stimuli and perturbations to brain networks. –Theoretical and experimental modalities for multi-scale brain dynamics –Network infrastructure and maximising collaborations across GW4

7. The next step Two day retreat - January 2015 18 participants Two Bridges Hotel Dartmoor Aims Generate at least one clear research proposal with which to apply for the GW4 accelerator fund Draft this into as advanced a form of the proposal as possible Identify any other specific grant applications to develop Discuss plans for sustaining the community

8. Outcomes of retreat – Accelerator application Project based on investigating co-morbid network changes in Epilepsy and Alzheimer's Disease Approximately £70,000 funding bid for 6 months Do networks extracted from EEG in dementia patients lead to aberrant synchronisation of dynamical models, compared to controls? Do networks extracted from EEG-like recordings from animal models of dementia lead to aberrant synchronisation of dynamical models, compared to controls? Can network differences already identified in epilepsy patients also be recorded from EEG-like measurements in an animal model of epilepsy? Can we use such these experimental data to predict perturbations to the network that can ameliorate the disease phenotype?

9. To date Initiator grant developed, submitted and awarded Ideas workshop held Focused retreat held Plan for accelerator determined, draft proposal prepared Report for Initiator prepared and submitted Lifecycle award prepared and submitted ‘bespoke events facilitated by an external consultant…. designed specifically for each communities need, these sessions can include sandpits, how to develop good communication and setting up working processes for the collaboration..’ - we aim to gain more clinical involvement