David Meneses, a master's student in the Neuroengineering Graduate Program (PPGN) at the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), has been accepted into the 2026 edition of the Latin American School of Computational Neuroscience (LASCON), an intensive international training program in Computational Neuroscience promoted by the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center in Neuromathematics (NeuroMat) at the University of São Paulo (USP), in São Paulo/SP.
For four weeks, forty globally selected students participate in theoretical classes and practical activities that address computational modeling of the brain, covering content ranging from the study of individual neurons to large-scale neural networks.
The program started last Monday (5) and runs until January 30, 2026. The curricular activities include practical tutorials with neural activity simulation tools, classes taught by globally renowned researchers in the field, computational exercises and guided studies, as well as the development of a group research project, from defining the topic to the final presentation of results.
“I hope to deepen my training, strengthening the integration between theory, simulation, and analysis. I also seek to develop practical skills, broaden my interdisciplinary vision, and establish academic connections with researchers and students from Latin America and other countries, contributing directly to my scientific training and future projects in the field,” says David.
Interdisciplinary context
At ISD, David is mentored by research professor Andressa Radiske, conducting research on how fear affects decision-making processes. His master's project aims, in general, to understand the formation and modification of maladaptive memories and their impacts on decisions in contexts of risk and threat.
The ISD's Postgraduate Program in Neuroengineering aims to strengthen interdisciplinary research lines in neuroscience and neuroengineering, offering places for students in the fields of health, exact sciences, biological sciences, and engineering. The studies developed at ISD range from basic to clinical and translational research, contributing scientific foundations and taking innovations from the laboratory bench to applications in real-world rehabilitation contexts.
The Master's program in Neuroengineering at ISD is currently accepting applications for the first semester of 2026. Applications are free and open until January 23rd. notice The detailed schedule is available on the ISD website, under the tabs “Teaching” > “Postgraduate Studies in Neuroengineering”.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Health Education and Research, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
