Symposia
Symposia focus on advances or present conflicting views in rapidly developing areas or neuroscience. Top researchers are typically selected as speakers, and researchers at all career levels are encouraged to attend. Symposia will take place on October 5–9 in McCormick Place. Symposia taking place during Neuroscience 2024 are listed below.
View other scientific sessions being held this year.
Control of cortical function by the claustrum
Chair: Ami Citri, PhDInstitution: The Hebrew University
Co-Chair: Gilad Silberberg, PhD
Institution: Karolinska Institute
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
The claustrum elicits powerful control over frontal cortex, impacting brain states and behavior. The claustrum achieves this by modulating cortical rhythms, and coordinating cortical encoding of behavioral strategy. This session will provide an overview of the mechanisms whereby the claustrum impacts the cortex, addressing the organization of claustro-cortical circuits, the modulation of the claustrum, and the cognitive impact of claustral modulation of cortical function.
Neuroendocrine mechanisms for metabolic and behavioral adaptations during parenting
Chair: Yong Xu, MD, PhDInstitution: Baylor College of Medicine
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
Mothers undergo immediate and dramatic metabolic and behavioral changes to provide sufficient nutrients and maternal care to their developing young. Dysregulated maternal metabolism and behaviors can have detrimental effects on mothers and their offspring. Evidence also points to the importance of fathers’ involvement during this critical period. This session will highlight recent discoveries related to the neuroendocrine mechanisms for the metabolic and behavioral adaptations during parenting.
The neurophysiology of naturalistic behavior in mammalian brains
Chair: Julio Martinez-Trujillo, MD, PhDInstitution: Western University
Co-Chair: Nachum Ulanovsky, PhD
Institution: Weizmann Institute of Science
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
Over decades, we’ve advanced understanding of how mammalian brains process information in lab-based tasks. However, many studies restricted natural movements, reducing ecological validity and generalizability. This symposium presents research on natural behaviors in mice, bats, marmosets, and humans using advanced neurotechnologies. By measuring neural activity alongside sensory, motor, spatial, and cognitive variables, these studies reveal novel brain mechanisms across species.
Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Neuron-Glia Communications in the Central Nervous System -Tsuneya Ikezu
Chair: Tsuneya Ikezu, MD, PhDInstitution: Mayo Clinic Florida
Co-Chair: Eva-Maria Krämer-Albers, PhD
Institution: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Date & Time: Saturday, October 5, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme B – Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia
Neurons-to-glia communication significantly impacts the development, maturation, plasticity, and disease progressions of the nervous system. As a new signaling modality, extracellular vesicles (EVs) display a diverse role for the robust functional regulation of neurons through their protein and nucleic acid cargoes. This symposium will highlight recent breakthroughs in how glial EVs regulate neural development, axonal transport, synaptic functions, and disease progression in the mammalian nervous system.
Frustrative Nonreward: Behavior, Circuits, Neurochemistry, and Disorders - Mauricio R. Papini
Chair: Mauricio Papini, PhDInstitution: Texas Christian University
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme G – Motivation and Emotion
The surprising omission or reduction of vital resources (food, fluid, social partners) can induce an aversive emotion known as frustrative nonreward (FNR), which impacts subsequent behavior. Although its role is not always appreciated, FNR is integral for irritability/aggression, motivation (substance use disorders, depression), anxiety/fear/threat, learning/conditioning, and social behavior. This symposium will highlight new insights and potential applications of FNR research.
Monoamine Neuromodulators: Cell Types, Physiology, Computation, and Behavior - Jeremiah Y. Cohen
Chair: Jeremiah Cohen, PhDInstitution: Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S406A
Theme: Theme H – Cognition
Small populations of neurons that project extensively throughout the nervous system release monoamine neuromodulators. There is a growing appreciation of their cell-type diversity, physiology, and functions in behavior. This symposium will discuss recent advances in understanding the anatomy, physiology, computational roles and behavior of mammalian norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine neurons.
Nanomedicine in the Peripheral and Central Nervous Systems - Kelly A. Langert
Chair: Kelly Langert, PhDInstitution: Loyola University Chicago
Co-Chair: Rachael Sirianni, PhD
Institution: UMass Chan School of Medicine
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S103
Theme: Theme I – Techniques
Therapeutic delivery for brain and nervous system disorders represents a challenge, in part due to the presence of specialized anatomical barriers. Despite this, progress in nanomedicine and biomaterials has enabled the development of targeting and delivery strategies — bringing us closer than ever to clinical translation. This symposium will highlight recent advancements in nanomedicine focused on the delivery of genes or small molecules in a diverse array of nervous system disease and injury models.
The Brain’s Best-Kept Secret Is its Degenerate Structure - Eve E. Marder
Chair: Eve Marder, PhDInstitution: Brandeis University
Co-Chair: Christophe Bernard
Institution: INSERM U1106
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S100A
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
The goal of this lecture is to show that degeneracy is central to the architecture and operation of the brain. Degeneracy is the existence of multiple solutions to the same problem, a concept that applies from quantal physics to procaryotes to humans. In the brain, neurons can use different combinations of ion channels to produce the same firing pattern. This symposium will highlight recent breakthroughs in scientists' understanding of degeneracy and its critical role in comprehending brain function.
Advancing Organoids: Synergizing Tissue Engineering and Neurotechnology Development - Duygu Kuzum
Chair: Duygu Kuzum, PhDInstitution: UC San Diego
Co-Chair: Grace Hwang, PhD
Institution: NIH
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme A – Development
Microphysiological systems (MPS) have garnered substantial interest in understanding human-specific brain biology and increasing the translatability of preclinical work. 3D organoids hold great promise as models that can provide insights into the development of the human nervous system and the emergence and progression of nervous system disorders. This symposium will highlight advances in MPS, novel technologies to interface organoids, and potential applications of organoid engraftment in model organisms.
Cortical Neural Circuits for Motor Learning at Spine, Dendrite, and Network Level - Yoshiyuki Kubota
Chair: Yoshiyuki Kubota, PhDInstitution: Natl Inst Physiol Sci (NIPS)
Co-Chair: Jackie Schiller, PhD
Institution: Technion Medical School
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S406A
Theme: Theme E – Motor Systems
Learning involves plasticity changes in neural circuits at various spatial scales, from synapses to the network level. Recent advances in experimental techniques to visualize neural structure and activity longitudinally in vivo are beginning to allow a holistic description of circuit changes across scales. This symposium will present the state of the art in the field of motor cortex plasticity during motor skill learning at the scales of synapses, dendrites, cell types, and networks.
Developing Genome Editing Therapies for Disorders of the Central Nervous System: From Single Diseases to a Platform Approach - Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas
Chair: Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, MD, PhDInstitution: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania
Co-Chair: Timothy LaVaute, PhD
Institution: National institutes of Health
Date & Time: Sunday, October 6, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S100A
Theme: Theme I – Techniques
Genome editing is rapidly developing as a potential therapeutic option for genetic disorders of the central nervous system. This symposium will present examples employing genome editing approaches to address neurologic disorders across the lifespan. It will also provide a vision of a regulatory framework and manufacturing strategies required to realize genome editing’s full potential as a platform therapy.
Developing Brain: Cell Types, Models, and Disease Implications - Tomasz Nowakowski
Chair: Tomasz Nowakowski, PhDInstitution: University of California San Francisco
Co-Chair: Aparna Bhaduri, PhD
Institution: University of California Los Angeles
Date & Time: Monday, October 7, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S100A
Theme: Theme A – Development
Developmental trajectories establish functional cell types in the adult. Identifying cellular and molecular mechanisms by which this happens is necessary to understand normal function and disease vulnerability. This symposium will highlight how single-cell technologies are uniquely leveraged to identify cell types in the developing brain and how these cells can be studied with novel in vitro models that uniquely provide access to the developing human brain.
Emotional Well-Being: Health Impacts and Neural Insights - Kuan H. Wang
Chair: Kuan Wang, PhDInstitution: University of Rochester
Co-Chair: Erin Quinlan, PhD
Institution: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Date & Time: Monday, October 7, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S105
Theme: Theme G – Motivation and Emotion
Appreciation for the importance of emotional well-being (EWB) for mental and physical health is increasingly growing. While people typically study EWB in humans at the subjective level, emerging research sheds light on related neural circuits and neural processes, including emotional and cognitive aspects. This symposium will showcase basic, translational, and clinical approaches to understanding the neural underpinnings of EWB, as well as how relevant neural circuits may be modulated to promote EWB.
What Does the Microbiome Tell Us About Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (AD)/Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ADRD)? - David Jett
Chair: David Jett, PhDInstitution: NIH
Date & Time: Monday, October 7, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
Scientists are studying the microbiome as a risk factor for many neurological diseases, including AD and ADRD. While there is evidence that the microbiome may play a role in these diseases, there is little information on the relationship between the microbiome and how it affects prevention and treatment. This symposium will include talks on the relationship between the microbiome and the metabolome, and amyloidosis and tau-mediated neurodegeneration.
Brain Implants That Use Electrical Stimulation to Restore Rudimentary Forms of Vision for Blind People - Denise Oswalt
Chair: Denise Oswalt, PhDInstitution: University of Pennsylvania
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S100A
Theme: Theme D – Sensory Systems
Globally, approximately 40 million people live with blindness. Loss of vision significantly affects one’s autonomy and quality of life and imposes substantial economic costs on society. Restoring visual function in blind individuals is thus a crucial scientific goal with tremendous societal benefits. This symposium will cover the many recent developments in restoring vision with electrical stimulation of the visual brain in experimental animals and its translation to blind people.
Neurogenic Bowel and Bladder: Advancing Understanding and Novel Electrical Therapies - Tracey L. Wheeler
Chair: Tracey Wheeler, PhDInstitution: Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
Co-Chair: Audrey Kusiak, PhD
Institution: Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S105
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
It is hard to maintain dignity when CNS injury or disease disrupts bowel and bladder control. Neurogenic bowel and bladder are common in multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and spinal cord injury. They can trigger a deadly overreaction of the autonomic nervous system and have a tremendous impact on quality of life. This symposium will highlight recent breakthroughs in widespread understanding of these systems and their response to electrical and other emerging therapeutic interventions.
Synthetic Approaches to Modulating and Rewiring Neural Circuits - Sangkyu Lee
Chair: Sangkyu Lee, PhDInstitution: Institute for Basic Science
Co-Chair: Michael Lin, MD, PhD
Institution: Stanford
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme I – Techniques
Over the last decades, the landscape of neuroscience has been reshaped by synthetic approaches, offering unprecedented insights into cellular and molecular dynamics within the brain. This symposium will highlight the forefront of innovation, shedding light on the latest developments in synthetic approaches involving protein engineering, the design of bioelectronic devices, and focused ultrasound for precise modulation and rewiring of neural circuits, extending even to deep brain stimulation.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Thyroid Hormone in Neuropsychiatric Disorders - Deena M. Walker
Chair: Deena Walker, PhDInstitution: Oregon Health & Science University
Co-Chair: Catherine Jensen Peña, PhD
Institution: Princeton University
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S103
Theme: Theme G – Motivation and Emotion
Thyroid hormone dysregulation is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Preclinical data supports its critical role in the development, emergence, and perpetuation of neuropsychiatric disorders. This symposium will present a cohesive arc of research on how early-life experience dysregulates thyroid hormone signaling, facilitating limbic system development, influencing the expression of behavior in adulthood, and serving as a therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric disorders in humans.
Is There Anything the Superior Colliculus Doesn’t Do? - Flóra Takács
Chair: Flóra TakácsInstitution: University College London
Co-Chair: Philip Coen, PhD
Institution: University College London
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S102
Theme: Theme E – Motor Systems
The superior colliculus is classically considered a site of sensorimotor transformation. However, recent work suggests a functionality that extends to higher cognitive roles, including decision-making and attention. Why is this brain region implicated in so many different roles, from basic sensory processing to complex behaviors? This symposium brings together speakers at the forefront of this field to tackle this question and establish to what extent scientists can define a “function” of the superior colliculus.
LRRK2 and Parkinson's Disease - Jie Shen
Chair: Jie Shen, PhDInstitution: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S100A
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the leading movement disorder, but there is no disease-modifying therapy. LRRK2 mutations represent the most common genetic cause of PD. Scientists are testing its kinase inhibitors in clinical trials as PD treatment. This symposium will present the latest advances in LRRK2 function and structure as well as ongoing debates of opposing views on the gain- versus loss-of-function pathogenic mechanism underlying LRRK2 mutations and implications on therapeutic development.
The Neurobiology of Behavioral Responses to Temperature Change - Marco Gallio
Chair: Marco Gallio, PhDInstitution: Northwestern University
Co-Chair: Elena Gracheva, PhD
Institution: Yale University
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 8, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme D – Sensory Systems
Behavioral responses to temperature are at the forefront of the interaction between animals and the thermal environment. Consequently, climate change will alter the behavior of many animal species, even before directly threatening their survival. This symposium will survey mechanisms that animals have evolved to cope with changing thermal conditions — including temperature extremes and unexpected ways global warming can impact animal behavior.
Neuron-Glial Interactions: Implications for Plasticity, Behavior, and Cognition - Mauricio Rangel-Gomez
Chair: Mauricio Rangel-Gomez, PhDInstitution: NIH, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Co-Chair: Aleksandra Vicentic, PhD
Institution: NIMH
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 9, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: MCP Room S406A
Theme: Theme H – Cognition
Glial cell interactions with neurons are essential to brain development and functions. Recent technological advances for selective manipulation of glia and neurons, and computational modeling approaches facilitate assessments of how neuron-glia interactions modulate in vivo cognitive behaviors. This symposium will present the latest developments in the measurements and manipulations of neuron-glial interactions, shedding light on their mechanisms and consequences on complex behaviors.
Biomarkers for Cerebrovascular Contributions to Neurodegeneration: Genetic, Biofluid, and Imaging - Jane S. Paulsen
Chair: Jane Paulsen, PhDInstitution: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Co-Chair: Bradley Baker
Institution: Georgia State University
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 9, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: MCP Room S100BC
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
This symposium will review biomarkers in cerebrovascular research from the perspectives of genetic biomarkers, biofluid biomarkers (i.e., blood and cerebrospinal fluid), and advanced neuroimaging techniques. Each speaker will address the utility of the genetic, biofluid, or neuroimaging marker regarding the detecting and tracking progressive cerebrovascular changes contributing to cognitive impairment and dementia.
