Brain

Facebook LIVE Q&A: How does heart health impact the brain? with Dr. Daniel Nation
2020-11-06 11:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Irvine, 92697, United States
Dr. Daniel Nation, professor at USC, will be discussing the relation between heart health and the brain.

Gina Poe, Ph.D.
2020-11-10 11:00 - 12:00
Sleep to reframe your perspective: neural mechanisms at work to reconsolidate memories in light of new information
Dr. Gina Poe is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA. She is one of the speakers in the UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping 2020 -2021 Seminars.

Caring for the Caregiver
2020-11-10 16:00 - 17:30
Join UCI School of Nursing and UCI MIND for a virtual discussion and Q&A with experts on the unique challenges facing dementia caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Catherine Woolley, Ph.D.
2020-11-17 13:00 - 14:00
Dr. Catherine Woolley is a William Deering Professor in the department of neurobiology at Northwestern University. She is one of the speakers in the 2020/21 EpiCenter Seminar Series.

Cognitive Sciences Virtual Colloquia Series - Josh McDermott, Ph.D.
2020-11-18 12:00 - 13:00
Understanding Auditory Cortical Computation
Just by listening, humans can determine who is talking to them, whether a window in their house is open or shut, or what their child dropped on the floor in the next room. This ability to derive information from sound is enabled by a cascade of neuronal processing stages that transform the sound waveform entering the ear into cortical representations that are presumed to make behaviorally important sound properties explicit. Although much is known about the peripheral processing of sound, the subsequent computations that support behavior are less understood. This talk will describe our recent efforts to develop new models of auditory computation that can account for auditory behavior, illuminate function within auditory cortex, and help people hear better.
Speaker Bio
Josh McDermott studies sound and hearing in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, where he is an Associate Professor and heads the Laboratory for Computational Audition. His research addresses human and machine audition using tools from experimental psychology, engineering, and neuroscience. McDermott obtained a BA in Brain and Cognitive Science from Harvard, an MPhil in Computational Neuroscience from University College London, a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Science from MIT, and postdoctoral training in psychoacoustics at the University of Minnesota and in computational neuroscience at NYU. He is the recipient of a James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award, an NSF CAREER Award, a Troland Research Award, and the BCS Award For Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

Neurobiology and Behavior Distinguished Colloquium - Bence Olveczky, PhD
2020-12-01 11:00 - 12:00
Save the Date

Dr. Bence Olveczky is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on the neural circuits underlying motor learning in rodents and song birds. Dr. Olveczky is a leader in the field of chronic recording and causal manipulation of neuronal circuits. His work combines state-of-the-art technologies in behaving animals with mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental rules and mechanisms of the learning process. Please download the event flyer for more information.

Making Waves: Entrepreneur Conversations - Leen Kawas
2020-12-01 12:00 - 13:00
Join us for a conversation with Richard Sudek, executive director at Beall Applied Innovation and chief innovation officer at UCI and Leen Kawas, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors of Athira Pharma.
They’ll discuss how a young woman pursuing the American Dream goes from scientist to startup to taking her company public with her IPO in the Alzheimer’s therapy space.

NextGen Epilepsy Seminars – Cleber Trujillo, PhD
2020-12-03 10:00 - 11:00
Cleber Trujillo, PhD, a postdoc in Alysson Muotri’s lab at UCSD, will present his latest epilepsy-related research. This event is part of the NextGen Epilepsy Seminar Series which features postdocs and graduate students. This event is sponsored by the Epilepsy Research Center and the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology.

Thriving Through Connections Mental Health and Wellness Virtual Conference
2020-12-04 10:00 - 19:00
In a time of uncertainty, confusion, and disconnectedness Thriving through Connections seeks to bring together a diverse group of mental health professionals and the 16-24-year-old population for a day of learning and connection in a safe and welcoming virtual space. Thriving through Connections will deliver a highly interactive, 3D environment with a live streaming video keynote from Zak Williams, son of actor/comedian Robin Williams. It will also feature live breakout sessions and interactive resource booths within a resource fair.
UCI Professor Michael Yassa will be holding a breakout session concerning Destigmatizing Mental Illness Through a Scientific Lens from 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

The best part? This virtual event is FREE! Register today!

Facebook LIVE Q&A: Can stem cells treat Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias? with Dr. Mathew Blurton-Jones
2020-12-04 11:00 - 12:00
Dr. Mathew Blurton-Jones, from the department of Neurobiology and Behavior, will be answering questions about the use of stem cells in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Join this live broadcast on December 4th at 11AM.

CNLM Virtual Colloquium with Charan Ranganath, Ph.D.
2020-12-08 11:00 - 12:00
Memory at the scale of episodes: How the neocortex and hippocampus support memory for complex events
Dr. Ranganath’s research focuses on characterizing the psychological processes that support human memory, and their neural underpinnings. In particular, they have investigated the functions of brain regions in the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobes.

Bilingual Minds and Brain Lab Speaker Series: John Grundy and John Anderson
2020-12-14 09:30 - 11:00
John Grundy, PhD of Iowa State University and John Anderson, PhD of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Kimel Imaging and Genetics Laboratory in Toronto will be presenting their research: Bilingualism leads to cognitive reserve in older adults.

Gaia Novarino, Ph.D.
2020-12-15 10:00 - 11:00
Dr. Gaia Novarino, professor of life sciences at IST Austria, will be one of the speakers in the 2020/21 EpiCenter Seminar Series.

Language Science Department Colloquium with Evelina Fedorenko
2020-12-15 11:00 - 12:30
Dr. Evelina Fedorenko, an associate professor of MIT, will be presenting her latest research on the language system in the human mind and brain.

NextGen Epilepsy Seminars – Justin Botterill, PhD
2021-01-07 10:00 - 11:00
Justin Botterill, PhD, a postdoc in Helen Scharfman’s lab at Nathan Kline / NYU, will present his latest epilepsy-related research. This event is part of the NextGen Epilepsy Seminar Series which features postdocs and graduate students. This event is sponsored by the Epilepsy Research Center and the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology.

BME Seminar Series: Michael Yartsev of UC Berkeley
2021-01-08 12:00 - 13:00
“Studying the Neural basis of Complex Spatial, Social and Acoustic Behaviors – in Freely Behaving and Flying Bats”
BME Seminar Series
Join the UCI Samueli School of Engineering and Department of Biomedical Engineering in a virtual seminar with Michael Yartsev, Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, where he will be presenting his latest research.

CNLM Virtual Colloquium with Dr. Staci D. Bilbo
2021-01-12 11:00 - 12:00
Prenatal environmental stressors impair postnatal microglial function and behavior in male mice
Join this virtual colloquium brought by the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, where Staci D. Bilbo, Ph.D., from Duke University, will be presenting her research on brain science.

Developmental and Cell Biology Seminar Series with Irene Chiolo
2021-01-14 11:00 - 12:00
Highways for Repair: Nuclear Actin Filaments and Myosins Drive Relocalization and Repair of Heterochromatic DNA Breaks
Join the UCI BioSci Department of Developmental and Cell Biology in a virtual seminar with Irene Chiolo, Associate Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences of the University of Southern California.

Abstract
Pericentromeric heterochromatin accounts for ~30% of fly and human genomes and is mostly composed of repeated DNA sequences prone to aberrant recombination. Defective double-strand break (DSB) repair of heterochromatin results in widespread genome instability, a major driving force for tumorigenesis. Genome instability is also a leading cause of aging-related diseases and contributes to developmental defects, sterility, and neurological and neuromuscular degeneration in several genetic syndromes. And yet, repair mechanisms in heterochromatin have been woefully understudied. Using Drosophila cells, our pioneering studies have identified a striking relocalization of repair sites to the nuclear periphery for ‘safe’ homologous recombination (HR) progression. SUMOylation has a pivotal role in this pathway, by blocking HR inside the domain and promoting relocalization. We have also uncovered a remarkable network of transient nuclear actin filaments and myosins driving directed motions to the nuclear periphery, and we have identified highly conserved pathways in mammalian cells. More recently, we have discovered a role for nucleoporins in mobilizing repair sites ‘off pore’, likely through phase separation. Ultimately, we expect these studies to open new avenues for cancer treatment and for developing more effective strategies to address aging-related disorders and neurological/neuromuscular diseases.

Dr. Anne Churchland: "Single-trial neural dynamics are dominated by richly varied movements"
2021-01-19 11:00 - 12:00
CNCM Seminar
Join the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping in a zoom seminar with Anne Churchland, Ph.D., from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory/UCLA, who will be presenting her latest research on neural dynamics of movements.

Mark Dell'Acqua, PhD
2021-01-19 16:00 - 17:00
Dr. Mark Dell’Acqua, professor and vice chair of the department of pharmacology at the University of Colorado, will be one of the speakers in the 2020/21 EpiCenter Seminar Series.

Michael Jacobs Goard, Ph.D.
2021-01-26 11:00 - 12:00
CNCM Seminar
Join the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping in a virtual seminar with Dr. Michael Jacobs Goard, from UC Santa Barbara, who will be presenting his latest research.

Fireside Chat with Dr. Nora Volkow, MD
2021-01-26 12:00 - 13:30
Join UC BRAID and UC Irvine ICTS for a Fireside Chat with Dr. Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. We are excited to have Dr. Volkow engage with University of California for a lively and dynamic discussion. For a preview, you can watch Dr. Volkow discuss her work in her NIDA blog or during her TEDMED and Moth talks.

Please visit the event page for an agenda of the day’s events and registration.

Stress, Social Relationships, and Pathways to Mental and Physical Health
2021-01-26 14:00 - 15:00
Dr. Doom will discuss findings using longitudinal data demonstrating associations between early unpredictability, harshness, and deprivation and later mental and physical health. She will discuss the understudied role of micronutrient deficiencies in understanding cognitive, emotional, behavioral pathways to later health. Finally, she will discuss work on social buffering suggesting that there may be developmental changes in social relationships that determine who may be effective buffers of stress to improve health across the lifespan.
Jenalee Doom, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Stress, Early Experiences, and Development (SEED) Center
University of Denver

NextGen Epilepsy Seminars – Rosalia Paterno, PhD
2021-01-28 10:00 - 23:00
Rosalia Paterno, PhD, a postdoc in Scott Baraban’s lab at UCSF, will present her latest epilepsy-related research. This event is part of the NextGen Epilepsy Seminar Series which features postdocs and graduate students. This event is sponsored by the Epilepsy Research Center and the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology.

CNCM Seminar with Dr. Aaron W. McGee
2021-02-02 11:00 - 12:00
Genetic and Circuit Mechanisms to Close Critical Periods for Neural Plasticity
Please join the UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping in a virtual seminar featuring, Aaron W. McGee Ph.D., of the Department of Anatomical Sciences & Neurobiology of University of Louisville School of Medicine, where he will be presenting his latest research.

UCI Neurology Grand Rounds featuring Dr. Jeanne Loring
2021-02-05 08:00 - 09:00
Development of autologous dopamine neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
Please join the Department of Neurology in their virtual Grand Rounds featuring, Jeanne Loring, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Molecular Medicine – Scripps Research, La Jolla and Founder of Aspen Neuroscience.

CNLM Virtual Colloquium with Dr. Beth Stevens
2021-02-09 11:00 - 12:00
(Re) Defining Myeloid Cell States and Function in Alzheimer’s Disease
Join the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory in a virtual colloquium with Dr. Beth Stevens, Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard University.
Abstract: Emerging evidence from genetic association studies shows that dysregulation of the brain’s immune system plays a key role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disease. Our research aims to identify and validate disease mechanisms informed by human genetics and identify functional and mechanistic markers of myeloid and glial cells in detrimental states, before cognitive decline, that can be readily detected through imaging and fluid biomarkers. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and proteomic approaches we identified molecular signatures that can be used to localize and monitor distinct microglia functional states in human and mouse brain. Our results show that microglia assume diverse functional states in development, aging and injury, including populations corresponding to known microglial functions including proliferation, migration, inflammation, and synaptic phagocytosis. In addition, we identified several innate immune pathways by which microglia recognize and prune synapses during development and in models of disease, including the classical complement cascade. Illuminating the mechanisms by which developing synaptic circuits are sculpted is providing important insight on understanding how to protect synapses in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases of synaptic dysfunction.

Jason D. Shepherd, PhD
2021-02-10 13:00 - 14:00
Virus-Like Intercellular Communication In The Nervous System
Hosted by: Dr. Emiliana Borrelli
Please join UCI School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics in a virtual seminar with Jason D. Shepherd, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Ophthalmology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where he will present his latest research.

Free to attend. Registration required.

REGISTER NOW

Thomas Sutula, M.D., Ph.D.
2021-02-16 16:00 - 17:00
Dr. Thomas Sutula, emeritus professor in the department of neurology at the University of Wisconsin, will be one of the speakers in the 2020/21 EpiCenter Seminar Series.

NextGen Epilepsy Seminars – Joanna Mattis, MD, PhD
2021-02-18 10:00 - 11:00
Joanna Mattis, MD, PhD, a Neurology Resident in Ethan Goldberg’s lab at CHOP / UPenn, will present her latest epilepsy-related research. This event is part of the NextGen Epilepsy Seminar Series which features postdocs and graduate students. This event is sponsored by the Epilepsy Research Center and the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology.
