Event Details:
Join the speaker for coffee, cookies, and conversation before the talk, starting at 11:45am.
Rewinding brain development to dissect cortical circuits
Abstract
Development shapes adult cortical circuits in many ways, from the constraint of genetic programs to establishing the interaction between self-referenced representations and environmental signals in support of adaptive behavior. The adaptation of cortical circuits to the external world results from the modifications of self-organized circuits constrained by genetic programs, in response to activity-dependent adjustments that occur at critical turning points throughout the developmental trajectories of individual animals.
Central to this process is the cortical circuit ability to differentiate between internally-generated and externally-driven inputs, a function mediated by distinct circuits. We posit that these dedicated circuits emerge through a developmental process in which the brain learns to segregate self and non-self-signals via its interactions with the body and the environment. Disruptions to this developmental trajectory, we argue, may underlie disorders like autism and schizophrenia, characterized by distorted world models. This presentation aims to unravel the emergence of functional cortical circuits over the course of development. Through a synthesis of published and unpublished data, we highlight the dual influence of early developmental programming and ongoing interaction with environmental signals.
Rosa Cossart, PhD
INSERM, Aix-Marseille University
Rosa Cossart (she/her) is a leading French neuroscientist who serves as the Director of the Institute of Mediterranean Neurobiology (INMED). After completing her engineering degree and PhD in Paris, followed by postdoctoral work at Columbia University, she has made fundamental contributions to understanding brain circuit development and function.
Her most significant scientific discovery was identifying "hub cells" - specialized neurons that coordinate brain activity during development. She has also made important advances in understanding how the hippocampus processes spatial and temporal information, and how inhibitory circuits are affected in epilepsy.
Cossart's work has been widely recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including membership in the French Academy of Science (2022), the CNRS Silver Medal (2020), and multiple European Research Council grants. She has published extensively in top scientific journals and continues to lead influential research into how brain circuits form and function.
Hosted by Anne Goettemoeller (Soltesz Lab)
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About the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Seminar Series
The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute seminar series brings together the Stanford neuroscience community to discuss cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary brain research, from biochemistry to behavior and beyond.
Topics include new discoveries in fundamental neurobiology; advances in human and translational neuroscience; insights from computational and theoretical neuroscience; and the development of novel research technologies and neuro-engineering breakthroughs.
Unless otherwise noted, seminars are held Thursdays at 12:00 noon PT.