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Neuroscience Talks in Cambridge

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A superlist combining individual seminars and series from other lists on talks.cam. These Neuroscience-themed seminars will be advertised throughout the relevant interest group in Cambridge.
URL: http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/6028
Updated: 18 min 21 sec ago

Thu 14 Mar 16:00: Title to be confirmed

Tue, 30/01/2024 - 09:23
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Thu 29 Feb 16:00: Title to be confirmed

Tue, 30/01/2024 - 09:12
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Thu 29 Feb 16:00: Title to be confirmed

Tue, 30/01/2024 - 09:12
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Thu 15 Feb 16:00: Towards Human Systems Biology of Sleep/Wake Cycles: Phosphorylation Hypothesis of Sleep

Tue, 30/01/2024 - 09:09
Towards Human Systems Biology of Sleep/Wake Cycles: Phosphorylation Hypothesis of Sleep

The field of human biology faces three major technological challenges. Firstly, the causation problem is difficult to address in humans compared to model animals. Secondly, the complexity problem arises due to the lack of a comprehensive cell atlas for the human body, despite its cellular composition. Lastly, the heterogeneity problem arises from significant variations in both genetic and environmental factors among individuals. To tackle these challenges, we have developed innovative approaches. These include 1) mammalian next-generation genetics, such as Triple CRISPR for knockout (KO) mice and ES mice for knock-in (KI) mice, which enables causation studies without traditional breeding methods; 2) whole-body/brain cell profiling techniques, such as CUBIC , to unravel the complexity of cellular composition; and 3) accurate and user-friendly technologies for measuring sleep and awake states, exemplified by ACCEL , to facilitate the monitoring of fundamental brain states in real-world settings and thus address heterogeneity in human.

By integrating these three technologies, we have made significant progress in addressing two major scientific challenges in sleep research: 1) understanding sleep regulation (sleep mechanisms) and 2) determining the role of sleep (sleep functions). With regard to sleep mechanisms, we have recently proposed the phosphorylation hypothesis of sleep, which emphasizes the role of the sleep-promoting kinase CaMKIIα/CaMKIIβ (Tatsuki et al., 2016; Tone et al., 2022; Ode et al., 2020) and the involvement of calcium signaling pathways (Tatsuki et al., 2016). According to this novel perspective, the dynamics of calcium, representing neural activity during wakefulness, can be integrated and converted into the auto-phosphorylation status of CaMKIIα/CaMKIIβ, which induces and sustains sleep (Tone et al., 2022). Concerning sleep functions, we conducted computational studies to examine synaptic efficacy dynamics during sleep and wakefulness. Our findings led to the formulation of the Wake-Inhibition-Sleep-Enhancement (WISE) hypothesis, suggesting that wakefulness inhibits synaptic efficacy, while sleep enhances it.

During this talk, we will also present our discoveries regarding the identification of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (Chrm1 and Chrm3) as essential genes of REM sleep. Furthermore, we will discuss new insights into psychiatric disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders derived from the phosphorylation hypothesis of sleep.

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Wed 31 Jan 11:30: Sensory hypersensitivity and poor sleep - understanding neural mechanisms during early development

Mon, 29/01/2024 - 15:12
Sensory hypersensitivity and poor sleep - understanding neural mechanisms during early development

Poor sleep, sensory hyper-sensitivity and learning delays co-occur in autism (and the general population). In my lab, we aim to delineate causal mechanisms linking these phenotypic trats, in development. I will present findings from an infant sibling study (BASIS) that show early emerging associations between neural measures of sensory processing and infant sleep and new findings from the Snoose study, which uses polysomnography (EEG) to investigate individual variation in how infant sleep adapts to environmental noise.

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Wed 07 Feb 15:00: Understanding and managing conspiracy beliefs

Fri, 26/01/2024 - 19:53
Understanding and managing conspiracy beliefs

While considerable progress has been made in uncovering the motivational processes, contextual consequences, and interventions to reduce beliefs in conspiracy theories, certain areas of concern remain unclear. First, recent academic debates have centred around the exact nature of different measures of conspiracy beliefs (e.g., conspiracy mentality vs. belief in specific conspiracy theories). Regardless, what these measures fail to capture are the underlying components that make up a “conspiracist worldview”, alongside the potentially distinct implications of these different ontological processes. To understand this, I discuss our ongoing work on developing a scale that aims to capture a propensity to perceive the world in conspiracist terms. Second, inoculation or “pre-bunking” interventions have proven effective at reducing general misinformation susceptibility and acceptance of conspiracy narratives. However, less is known about the efficacy of these interventions among the specific population of interest; that is, actual “conspiracy theorists”. To explain how interventions might be extended to manage this issue, I will present promising recent evidence from our pre-bunking interventions that are specifically tailored to appeal to those already susceptible to conspiracy narratives. Finally, I will summarise and discuss other potential extensions of pre-bunking interventions to improve their efficacy specifically among “conspiracy theorist” communities.

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Thu 01 Feb 12:00: “Complement in Alzheimer’s Disease”

Fri, 26/01/2024 - 10:50
“Complement in Alzheimer’s Disease”

Abstract not available

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Mon 26 Feb 16:15: ANNUAL LECTURE: Saving the Synapse in Development and Alzheimer’s Disease

Wed, 24/01/2024 - 12:50
ANNUAL LECTURE: Saving the Synapse in Development and Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract not available

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Thu 25 Jan 12:00: “Ambient Mass Spectrometry in Neuroscience: From spatial biology to neurosurgery”

Tue, 23/01/2024 - 10:21
“Ambient Mass Spectrometry in Neuroscience: From spatial biology to neurosurgery”

Abstract not available

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Fri 01 Mar 13:00: The development and evolution of the mammalian jaw joint

Mon, 22/01/2024 - 13:45
The development and evolution of the mammalian jaw joint

Abstract not available

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Fri 09 Feb 13:00: Drosophila AP patterning: networks, dynamics, evolution, and robustness

Mon, 22/01/2024 - 13:44
Drosophila AP patterning: networks, dynamics, evolution, and robustness

Abstract not available

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Mon 19 Feb 16:15: Cortical integration of vestibular and visual signals for self-motion perception and spatial navigation

Mon, 22/01/2024 - 12:02
Cortical integration of vestibular and visual signals for self-motion perception and spatial navigation

Abstract not available

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Wed 24 Jan 16:00: New directions in autism early detection, biomarker discovery and understanding heterogeneity using eye tracking and brain imaging

Mon, 22/01/2024 - 10:52
New directions in autism early detection, biomarker discovery and understanding heterogeneity using eye tracking and brain imaging

Social attention, which refers to the specific ability to attend to socially relevant information, is a key aspect of social competency and is significantly impacted in ASD . What a toddler decides to look at, listen to, and shift between are all drivers of early brain development, and foundational for early language and social skills. While difficulties in attending to and reacting to the social world are consistent challenges in ASD , symptoms are heterogenous in nature and degree across individuals. In this lecture, Dr. Pierce will discuss how metrics of social attention as indexed by eye tracking can be powerful tools to: (1) discover diagnostic biomarkers to lower the age of first diagnosis; (2) characterize social attention phenotypes in ASD and understand biological subtypes; (3) reveal prognostic markers to predict future functioning; and (4) suggest possible treatment approaches best matched to each child’s profile. Given that levels of social attention as indexed by eye tracking could be considered a proxy for social attention levels ‘in the real world’, Dr. Pierce will discuss relationships between eye tracking and neural functional levels of activation in brain regions that are critical for social and language development in toddlers with ASD . She will also discuss how bioinformatic tools can be used to reveal key biological subtypes.

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Wed 24 Jan 15:00: The paradox of virality

Mon, 22/01/2024 - 10:41
The paradox of virality

I will present the results from a variety of interconnected studies about intergroup conflict, the spread of (mis)information, and how these topics interact with digital technologies such as social media. First, I will present research showing how social identity motives — particularly out-group negativity — explain why content is widely shared (or goes “viral”) on social media. Then, I will present research showing that widely shared content is often not widely liked — a phenomenon I call the “paradox of virality.” I will discuss the results of a study showing how accuracy and social identity motivations causally shape the belief and spread of (mis)information. I will also present the results of a large-scale digital field experiment that tests the long-term effects of exposure to misinformation and divisive content by having participants unfollow several polarizing social media accounts and misinformation sources for one month. Finally, I will present current and future research directions demonstrating how we can explore these questions on a global scale using multi-site “global studies” and how we can enhance our methods for testing these questions using large-language models.

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Fri 08 Mar 13:00: Controlling the cell cycle

Sun, 21/01/2024 - 21:14
Controlling the cell cycle

Abstract not available

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Fri 01 Mar 13:00: TBA

Sun, 21/01/2024 - 21:13
TBA

Abstract not available

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Fri 23 Feb 13:00: The presomitic mesoderm as a platform to integrate morphogenesis and mechanotransduction

Sun, 21/01/2024 - 21:12
The presomitic mesoderm as a platform to integrate morphogenesis and mechanotransduction

Abstract not available

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Fri 09 Feb 13:00: TBA

Sun, 21/01/2024 - 21:11
TBA

Abstract not available

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Fri 02 Feb 13:00: TBA

Sun, 21/01/2024 - 21:09
TBA

Abstract not available

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Wed 28 Feb 15:00: Title to be confirmed

Sun, 14/01/2024 - 12:37
Title to be confirmed

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Cambridge Memory Meeting 2015

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