Martin Wechselberger School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney Bursts and Canards in a Pituitary Lactotroph Model Wednesday 1st April 14:05-14:55pm, Eastern Avenue Lecture Theatre. Bursting oscillations in nerve cells have been the focus of a great deal of attention by mathematicians. These are typically studied by taking advantage of multiple time-scales in the system under study to perform a singular perturbation analysis. Bursting also occurs in hormone-secreting pituitary cells, but is characterized by fast bursts with small electrical impulses. Although the separation of time-scales is not as clear, singular perturbation analysis is still the key to understand the bursting mechanism. In particular, we will show that canards are responsible for the observed oscillatory behaviour.