image

About the CNS Department

Research and training programs in the Boston University Department of Cognitive and Neural Systems (CNS) address two broad questions:

How does the brain control behavior?


How can technology emulate biological intelligence?


The first question is a modern form of the Mind/Body problem. The second question supports the development of intelligent technologies that are well suited to human societies. These two scientific and technological foci are symbiotic because brains are unparalleled in their ability to adapt intelligently to complex and novel environments. The CNS Department provides advanced training and research experience for graduate students and qualified undergraduates interested in the neural and computational principles, mechanisms, and models that underlie human and animal behavior and the application of neural network architectures to the solution of technological problems.