Speaker: Dr. Beatriz Rico, King’s College London
Title: Assembly of cortical neurons in a dynamic circuit
In our daily life, animal behaviours rely on precise connectivity between neurons in the brain that can be modulated by experience. In the mammalian cerebral cortex, these connections reach an extraordinary complexity. How are these cortical circuitries built? How they respond to activity and what happens when they fail during development are questions that we are currently addressing in my lab. In this seminar, I will focus on the precise integration of diverse neuronal populations during development, regulated by intrinsic molecular mechanisms and dynamic fine-tuning mechanisms that maintain the balance between excitation and inhibition. For instance, the development of excitatory pyramidal cells is simultaneously and precisely counterbalanced by the formation of inhibitory synapses during the maturation of neuronal circuits. Although this process relies on neuronal activity, different types of pyramidal cells likely respond to changes in activity through the expression of cell-specific genes.
Speaker: Dr. Oscar Marin, King’s College London
Title: Maturation and plasticity of cortical interneurons
GABAergic interneurons play crucial roles in regulating neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex. A hallmark of cortical interneurons is their remarkable structural and functional diversity, yet the molecular determinants and the precise timing underlying their diversification remain largely unknown. The search for mechanisms controlling the diversity of GABAergic interneurons has primarily focused on transcriptional programs driving the initial specification of different types of interneurons. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms regulating their terminal differentiation. In this talk, I will describe molecular mechanisms controlling the maturation and plasticity of PV+ interneurons, a subclass of cortical interneurons that is particularly vulnerable across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders.
- Zoom option if unable to attend in person:
- Zoom link here (click on “Join a meeting”)
- Meeting ID: 91512 289258
- Passcode: 289258