John H. Byrne, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston

See also:

• Faculty page
• Byrne Lab Website

Douglas Baxter, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy NTR
SNNAP Project Director
Email: Douglas.Baxter@uth.tmc.edu

Dr. Baxter was one of the original creators of the SNNAP software, and continues to oversee its development and distribution.

See Also:

• Faculty Page
• Computational Neuroscience Core Facility
• Baxter Lab Website
• Houston Area Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience

Evyatar Av-Ron, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Email: Evyatar.Av-Ron@uth.tmc.edu

Designed and wrote the SNNAP tutorial manual. This hands-on manual takes the user through several computational neuroscience examples, showing how non programmers can develop neural models and run simulations with SNNAP. The goal of the SNNAP team is to provide a user-friendly tool which may be used for both teaching computational neuroscience and carrying out computational neuroscience research .

Trained as a computer scientist, Evyatar was involved in early AI projects in the domain of expert systems. He later trained in applied mathematics, and carried out research in mathematical modeling of neurons and neural systems. His work was centered on small network simulations, for example, the lobster cardiac ganglion, insect olfaction and the ocular-vestibular system. Evyatar also spent several years in the software industry, participating in the development of an object-oriented database system and a rule-based application development tool.

1. Using morphological features in SNNAP
   Users may specify the diameter and length of a compartment and SNNAP will calculate the membrane area. SNNAP can automatically adjust membrane capacitance and conductance in terms of unit membrane area or changes in neuron morphology.
    
2. Treatment functions
   Enables using complex forms of inputs in SNNAP, for example, ramps, sinewaves and exponentials.
    
3. PS output
   Designed the PostScript engine/driver for SNNAP that converts the raw output data into PostScript, the industry standard for high-quality printing.
    
4. Photo current
   Adopted the photo currents described by Drs. Marshak and Travis, to facilitate the simulation of photo receptors.

As a user, I developed a computational model of the type-B photoreceptors of Hermissenda, and studied the affects of conditioning on B-photoreceptor excitability.

1. Implemented the Java version of SNNAP;
2. Designed and implemented the graphical user interface using Java Swing library;
3. Implemented Batch simulation;
4. Implemented a dynamic algorithm which provides users with the ability to simulate virtually unlimited number of neurons (limited by the computer memory size).

Randall Hayes is a former postdoctoral fellow in the Byrne lab. He actively used SNNAP to model the central pattern generator which controls feeding in the sea slug Aplysia. This network is capable of multiple motor behaviors, including ingestion of food and rejection of inedible material (essentially, vomiting). These behaviors can be modified by classical and operant conditioning in the whole animal. Randall also built a model network to examine which particular cells and synapses contribute to these forms of learning.

Randall was also involved in pushing SNNAP into the classroom. He has presented posters on SNNAP as an educational tool at several regional and national meetings, and worked with collaborators from teaching institutions to make SNNAP more useful to teachers and students.

Bruce Welch
Former Manager of Software Systems Programming

System Administrator and technical consultant for the Computational Neuroscience Core Facility.

Michael Byrne

Responsible for creating the "Cell Matrix" program.

Sharon Weis
Original Website & Content Coordinator

Responsible for the original SNNAP website's design and content, among other projects.