Thesis Project Form

Understanding how neuronal morphology shapes function is crucial for deciphering ALS pathophysiology. This work develops a biologically inspired single-neuron model to explore developmental morphological differences between healthy and ALS-affected neurons and their impact on neural signaling.

he project aims to develop and validate a biologically realistic single-neuron computational model to investigate how morphological changes occurring during neuronal development influence electrical activity in healthy and ALS-affected neurons. Particular attention will be devoted to reproducing experimentally observed alterations in dendritic architecture and neuronal geometry and assessing their impact on excitability and signal propagation. Main activities include the analysis of morphological datasets, implementation of neuron models in simulation environments, parameter optimization, electrophysiological simulations, and quantitative comparisons between healthy and disease conditions. The final goal is to provide mechanistic insights into the role of neuronal morphology in ALS pathophysiology and to establish a computational framework that can support future studies on disease progression and therapeutic strategies.

The student will acquire expertise in the reconstruction and analysis of neuronal morphologies, implementation of single-neuron models, and simulation of electrophysiological activity using state-of-the-art computational tools. Training activities will include programming and scientific computing, model parameterization and validation, statistical analysis of experimental datasets, and visualization of complex biological data.