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Crossroads of Biology

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Ion Channels in Synaptic & Neural Circuit Physiology
June 1 - 21, 2026

Key Dates
Application Deadline: March 13, 2026 CLOSED
Arrival: June 1st by 6pm EST
Departure: June 21st around 12pm EST

The 2026 Ion Channels in Synaptic & Neural Circuit Physiology Course is no longer taking applications.



CSHL Courses are intensive, running all day and often including evenings and weekends; students are expected to attend all sessions and reside on campus for the duration of the course.

Instructors
Teresa Giráldez, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain

Ede Rancz, INMED,  Marseille France
Annalisa Scimemi, SUNY Albany
Nicolas Wanaverbecq, Aix-Marseille University, France

See the roll of honor - who's taken the course in the past.

Ion channels are the fundamental building blocks that regulate the electrical   activity of all cells. The primary goal of this course is to demonstrate, through lectures and laboratory work, how the different biophysical properties of ion channels enable neurons to perform unique physiological functions in vitro and in vivo.

Areas of particular interest include:
  1. Voltage-, ligand- and light-gated ion channels
  2. Synaptic function, integration and plasticity
  3. Optogenetics and  strategies for circuit mapping
  4. In vitro patch-clamp recordings from neurons, glia and immune cells
  5. In vivo patch-clamp and extracellular recordings of neural activity

This intensive laboratory and lecture course will introduce the participants to state-of-the-art electrophysiological approaches to studying ion channels in their native environments, specifically focusing on understanding different biophysical phenomena from first principles. A typical day consists of morning lectures followed by hands-on laboratory practical sessions in the afternoons and evenings, with guest lecturers available to give one-on-one practical advice. The course participants will learn core electrophysiology principles, will set up the recording instrumentation and understand how to troubleshoot their own experiments. Data  discussion, analysis and interpretation are a key component of this course. Dedicated students and instructors make this a unique learning environment.

The course provides students with hands-on experience in:
  • Using patch-clamp electrophysiology to examine single-channel activity in cultured cells
  • Ion channel biophysics in expression systems and acute slices
  • Synaptic function and plasticity
  • Dendritic integration
  • Neural circuit dynamics in brain slices and in vivo

Different patch-clamp configurations and recording modes will be used (e.g., cell-attached and whole-cell, voltage- and current-clamp). We will train students to perform somatic and dendritic recordings. Pharmacology and optogenetics will be used for cellular and circuit manipulation. Data analysis and interpretation is an integral component of this course, and requires students to know some basics of computer programming.  All topics are discussed in the context of cutting-edge scientific questions. In their personal statements, applicants should answer the following questions:

In their personal statements, applicants should answer the following questions:

  • 1. What are your reasons for attending the course and  how will the course help you in your current endeavors?
  • 2. What are your long-term goals, and how will the course allow you to achieve them ?
  • 3. Are you prepared to broaden your toolbox by learning different recording strategies and by using experimental preparations that may be different than what you use in your lab?
  • 4. Are you prepared to run your own data analysis with  MATLAB or Python?
  • 5. Are you prepared for an intense learning experience?


    • All selected participants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with basic programming tools in MATLAB or Python before the course. 

    2026 Invited Speakers
    Moritz Armbruster, Tufts University, Boston, MA 
    Jelena Baranovic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom 
    Christine Beeton, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 
    Ian Duguid, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom 
    Lief Fenno, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX 
    Sonia Gasparini, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 
    John Huguenard, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 
    Patrick LaChance, Boston University, Boston, MA 
    Aaron Milstein, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 
    Linda Overstreet-Wadiche, Univ of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 
    Lonnie Wollmuth, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 
    Matthew Xu-Friedman, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 



    Support & Stipends:

    We would like to acknowledge the following companies that offered invaluable support:
    Harvard Bioscience, Inc., Lafayette Instrument Company, Luigs & Neumann GmbH, Molecular Devices, Narishige International USA Inc., Nikon Instruments Inc., Precision Motion Solutions | OEM Manufacturing | Engineering, Acuvi, Scientifica Ltd, Sutter Instrument, Sensapex, and Thorlabs Inc.

    This course is supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health. 

    Additional support provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

             

    Stipends are available to offset tuition costs as follows:

    Please indicate your eligibility for funding in your stipend request submitted when you apply to the course. Stipend requests do not affect selection decisions made by the instructors.

    Tuition, Room & Board :  $6,255 USD

    No fees are due until you have completed the full application process and are accepted into the course. 

    Before applying, ensure you have:

    Before applying, ensure you have:
    1. Personal statement/essay;
    2. Letter(s) of recommendation;
    3. Curriculum vitae/resume (optional);
    4. Financial aid request (optional).
      More details.

    If you are not ready to fully apply but wish to express interest in applying, receive a reminder two weeks prior to the deadline, and tell us about your financial aid requirements, click below: