San Diego, USA
About
The San Diego Garden builds on the success of the previous Los Angeles edition, which brought together a dynamic community to explore cutting-edge methods in EEG and multimodal neuroimaging. The LA event featured hands-on workshops, tutorials, and discussions on machine learning applied to brain data, fostering strong collaboration across disciplines.
For this new edition, we are excited to continue this momentum in San Diego. The program will focus on EEG, multimodal neuroimaging, and advanced data analysis methods, including AI approaches for brain signal processing. It will combine hands-on training with scientific discussions to provide both practical skills and insight into state-of-the-art techniques.
As part of the CuttingGardens global program, the event will include interactive sessions and opportunities to connect with the broader international community. Both in-person and remote participation options will be available, with prior registration required.
Topics
- EEG & multimodal neuroimaging
- Advanced EEG analysis & reproducible pipelines
- Machine learning & AI for brain signal processing
- Deep learning & multimodal data integration
- Applications in cognitive and clinical neuroscience
Tutorials
- Day 1: EEG tools workshop (Brainstorm, EEGLAB, talks + hands-on)
- Day 2: EEG & multimodal neuroimaging symposium (talks + round table)
Featured Speakers /Teachers
- Arnaud Delorme, Scott Makeig, Bradley Voytek, Richard Leahy, Takfarinas Medani, and Agatha Lenartowicz, with additional speakers and program details to be announced.
Local Program
Registration
Venue
contact
Sponsors
The Global Program
The global program is shared synchronously by all Gardens. Local programs are offered by each Garden independently. See the main page for more details about the global program and the other gardens.
The San Diego Local Program at a Glance
Day 1: Tutorials and hands-on sessions (Brainstorm, EEGLAB)
Day 2: Symposium with talks, discussions, and round table
Day1 & Day 2: Poster sessions integrated with extended breaks
Global - Plenary lecture
Local - Lectures
Local - Tutorials
Local - Social Events
Local - Food / Posters
Local - Satellite Event
Local Program details
The San Diego Garden follows a two-day format.
Day 1 (Wednesday) is dedicated to introductions to major open-source EEG/MEG tools — EEGLAB, Brainstorm and BrainSuite — followed by a hands-on afternoon practicum on deep learning for EEG.
Day 2 (Thursday) is a scientific symposium organized into five thematic sessions of short talks, together with a poster session, spanning EEG, MEG, multimodal neuroimaging, machine learning, and clinical and cognitive neuroscience. Poster sessions run over the extended midday breaks on both days, and each morning connects to the worldwide CuttingGardens Global Program.
Wednesday, September 23 — Tutorials & Deep Learning Practicum
Morning — Opening & Open-Source Tool Introductions
- 08:30 — Global Program (worldwide CuttingGardens session)
- 09:00 — Welcome Desk & Coffee
- 09:15 — Opening of the San Diego Garden — Richard Leahy (USC): “Opening of the San Diego Garden & Introduction to Multimodal Neuroimaging”
- 09:30 — Arnaud Delorme (UCSD): “EEGLAB Introduction”
- 10:00 — Takfarinas Medani (USC): “Brainstorm Introduction”
- 10:30 — David Shattuck (UCLA) & Anand Joshi (USC): “BrainSuite for fMRI Analysis”
- 11:00 — Scott Makeig (UCSD): “Mobile Brain Imaging”
- 11:30 — Exhibitor & Sponsor Talks
- 12:00 — Lunch Break & Poster Session
Afternoon — Hands-on Practicum
- 14:00 — Practicum: Deep Learning EEG Methods and Practice
Preprocessing across EEGLAB, Brainstorm, then deep learning on EEG with PyTorch-based frameworks (Braindecode, NeuroAI) and existing EEG foundation models. Theory combined with light hands-on practice. (Instructors to be announced.) - 17:00 — Wrap-up & Q&A
- 18:00 — Reception / Social Event
Thursday, September 24 — Scientific Symposium
- 08:30 — Global Program (worldwide CuttingGardens session) & Coffee
Session 1 — Wearable & Real-World Neural Interfaces (09:00–10:00)
- 09:00 — Tzyy-Ping Jung (UCSD): Title to be announced
- 09:30 — Gert Cauwenberghs (UCSD): “Unobtrusive in-ear EEG neural interfaces with closed-loop auditory neurofeedback for brain-body health and wellness”
- 10:00 — Coffee Break
Session 2 — Multimodal EEG-fMRI: Acquisition & Analysis (10:30–11:30)
- 10:30 — Parsa Razmara (USC): “Multimodal EEG in the MRI Environment: From Low-Field EEG-fMRI to Speech Neurophysiology”
- 11:00 — Agatha Lenartowicz (UCLA): “Concurrent EEG-fMRI: Acquisition & Analysis”
- 11:30 — Lunch Break & Poster Session
Session 3 — Open Data & Machine Learning for EEG (13:00–14:00)
- 13:00 — Seyed Yahya Shirazi (UCSD): Title to be announced
- 13:30 — Virginia de Sa (UCSD): Title to be announced
Session 4 — Rethinking Measurement: Naturalistic Recording & Analysis (14:00–15:00)
- 14:00 — Ying Choon Wu (UCSD): “Free-Moving Gaze-related Electroencephalography in Mobile Virtual Environments”
- 14:30 — Bradley Voytek (UCSD): “Our neuroscience methods constrain our neuroscience theories”
- 15:00 — Coffee Break
Session 5 — Clinical Translation, Mental Health & Wellbeing (15:30–17:00)
- 15:30 — Kleanthis Avramidis (USC): “Scaling Psychiatric Biomarkers in Context and Time: Lessons from the PRECOG Project”
- 16:00 — Assal Habibi (USC): Title to be announced
- 16:30 — Rael Cahn (USC): “Enhanced senses, loosened priors: ERP and time–frequency signatures of a graded hierarchical inversion of visual processing under psilocybin”
- 17:00 — Closing Remarks
Local Speakers/Teachers
Registration: May 1st – August 31st
Poster submission: Abstract submission is available through the registration form
Registration will be completed through an online form. Participants register individually, with discount or access codes available for members of partner organizations. Confirmation will be sent upon registration.
Please note that places are limited, and registrations will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Poster instructions
Participants can submit a poster abstract (maximum 250 words) via the registration form.
Posters will be presented during dedicated sessions with extended interaction time.
Submission is text-based; no file upload is required.
Registration fee
The registration fee is $195 with a discount for students to $145.
Online registration via Zoom is $120.
Cost includes:
- Workshop
- Symposium
- Coffee Break
- Light reception
- $60 global cost for CuttingEEG
Venue - How to reach the San Diego Garden
The event will take place at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), located in La Jolla, CA. The venue is situated on the UCSD campus, just minutes from the coastline, offering a convenient and pleasant setting for the event.
Coming to San Diego
San Diego is accessible via San Diego International Airport (SAN). Transportation options include public transit, rideshare, and car rentals. A range of hotels and short-term accommodations are available near the venue. Participants are encouraged to book early.
Accommodation
**We recommend contacting hotels directly to ask about special rates for event participants and to book early, as availability may be limited.**
La Jolla Shores Hotel // 8110 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037 // (866) 976-6659
The La Jolla Shores Hotel, located on the La Jolla Shores Beach near downtown La Jolla, offers a UC San Diego discounted rate as well as a free shuttle to the workshop location, about a 15 minute drive. This hotel is a great option for those who wish to be close to the beach and La Jolla Shores shops.
Embassy Suites La Jolla // 4550 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92122 // (858) 453-0400
The Embassy Suites La Jolla offers UC San Diego discounted rates on a first come, first serve basis. These rates are subject to availability. The suites can accommodate up to six people and are a great option for sharing a room to reduce the cost or for families. Free breakfast and a free shuttle to the workshop are included in the price. It is about a fifteen minute car or Uber/Lyft ride to the workshop location.
Estancia La Jolla // 9700 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037 // (855) 430-7503
Estancia La Jolla, a four star hotel and spa, offers a UC San Diego discounted rate. This rate is subject to availability. The Estancia is within walking distance to the workshop location.
Contact the San Diego team
Arnaud Delorme
Takfarinas Medani
Shrikanth Narayanan
Richard Leahy
Exhibitor & Sponsorship
Join Us as an Exhibitor or Sponsor at San Diego Garden 2026!
We’d love to connect with you! For more information about exhibition and sponsorship opportunities at the San Diego Garden 2026, please contact the coordinators: medani@usc.edu & adelorme@ucsd.edu.