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 November 11-15 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Select symposia will be livestreamed and available to view via a virtual platform. Symposia taking place during ºÚÁÏÉç 2023 are listed below.
Advances in the Neuroscientific Study of Consciousness: Novel Frameworks to Bridge the Gap Between Theories, Experiments, and Clinical Relevance - Umberto Olcese
Chair: Umberto Olcese, PhDInstitution: University of Amsterdam
Co-Chair: Lucia Melloni, PhD
Institution: Max Planck For Empirical Aesthetics
Date & Time: Saturday, November 11, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: WCC 151
Theme: Theme H – Cognition
The study of the neural mechanisms of consciousness has recently been overhauled by the creation of several international adversarial collaborations, that have brought together a new interdisciplinary community focused on solving one of the deepest mysteries in science. This symposium will provide an overview of the theoretical, methodological, experimental and clinically-related advances in the field of consciousness research. We will show how open science is essential to the field’s progress.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
The Nanoscale Organization of Synapses: Tuning Function and Plasticity - Katharine Smith
Chair: Katharine Smith, PhDInstitution: University of Colorado
Co-Chair: Kristen Harris, PhD
Institution: University Of Texas At Austin Institute For ºÚÁÏÉç
Date & Time: Saturday, November 11, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: WCC Ballroom A
Theme: Theme B – Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia
Livestreamed: Yes
In the last decade, new imaging methods and molecular tools have revealed an unexpected, broadly conserved nanoscale organization for synapses, where key molecules are arranged into subsynaptic nanodomains. This new view now guides investigation of synapse and circuit formation, revolutionizing our understanding of synaptic plasticity. This symposium will explore the most recent advances in the field of synaptic nanoscopy, and how this underlies synapse diversity, function, and plasticity.
To submit a question during the session, use the .
Neural and Genetic Mechanisms of Behavioral Evolution - Paul Katz
Chair: Paul Katz, PhDInstitution: Univ Massachusetts Amherst
Date & Time: Sunday, November 12, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC Ballroom A
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
Livestreamed: Yes
Behavior evolves through changes in gene expression and the resulting effects on neural circuits. Therefore, the structure and organization of a neural circuit is shaped as much by its evolutionary history as by its extant function. General concepts of behavioral evolution are emerging from recent phylogenetic comparisons across different evolutionary distances. This symposium focuses on mechanisms underlying the evolution of locomotor and social behaviors in invertebrates and vertebrates.
To submit a question during the session, use the .
Presynaptic Protein Synthesis in Brain Function and Disease - Pablo Castillo
Chair: Pablo Castillo, MD, PhDInstitution: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Date & Time: Sunday, November 12, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC 146AB
Theme: Theme B – Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia
Local synaptic protein synthesis endows remote neuronal compartments with the ability to rapidly respond and adapt to local cues. Although most studies have focused on local protein synthesis in dendrites, growing evidence indicates that axons and presynaptic terminals in the mature brain can also undergo local protein synthesis. This symposium will present recent advances demonstrating important roles for local presynaptic protein synthesis in brain function and disease.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Voltage Imaging: New Horizons in Optical Physiology - János Fuzik
Chair: János Fuzik, PhDInstitution: Karolinska Institute
Date & Time: Sunday, November 12, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC Ballroom C
Theme: Theme I – Techniques
This session will introduce the newest developments in both in vivo and ex vivo applications of voltage- and all-optical voltage imaging of neuronal circuits. This session will be delivered by experts in dendritic voltage imaging in vivo, ex vivo all-optical voltage imaging with Voltage-Seq, voltage sensor development and cortical voltage imaging in vivo, and all-optical voltage imaging in vivo. The presented cutting-edge works also utilized different voltage sensors.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Common Mechanisms of Learning in Motor and Cognitive Systems - Christos Constantinidis
Chair: Christos Constantinidis, PhDInstitution: Vanderbilt University
Co-Chair: Aaron Batista, PhD
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Date & Time: Sunday, November 12, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: WCC 151
Theme: Theme E – Motor Systems
Learning to perform motor or cognitive tasks have been traditionally studied with different methods and paradigms. Some common principles — evident in both behavior and neural activity — underlying different types of learning have begun to emerge. This symposium will bring together investigators using different techniques and studying different systems to understand the mechanisms of learning.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Memory and Timing: The Shared Neural Encoding of Retrospective and Prospective Information - Dean Buonomano
Chair: Dean Buonomano, PhDInstitution: University of California, Los Angeles
Co-Chair: Anna Christina Nobre, PhD
Institution: University of Oxford
Date & Time: Monday, November 13, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC Ballroom A
Theme: Theme H – Cognition
Livestreamed: Yes
The ability to store information about the past in order to prepare for the future is among the most fundamental tasks the brain performs. This task often requires predicting when in time future events will occur — and thus neural mechanisms to tell and encode time. Memory and timing have generally been studied as distinct cognitive functions, but are often intimately linked. This symposium will explore the shared neural and functional mechanisms between memory and temporal processing.
To submit a question during the session, use the .
Neuronal Bases of Adult-Newborn Relationships - Manuel Mameli
Chair: Manuel Mameli, PhDInstitution: University of Lausanne
Co-Chair: Silvana Valtcheva, PhD
Institution: University of Cologne, Medical Faculty
Date & Time: Monday, November 13, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC 151
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
This symposium will present insights on brain-driven coordination of social interactions between adults and newborns. Speakers will discuss activity dynamics and anatomical connectivity in the adult brain mediating diverse behaviours toward infants. Furthermore, how sensory cues from infants are processed by maternal brain will be matter of debate. Finally, we will extend these topics in humans discussing how the environment during pregnancy influence fetal/infant brain development.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
"Place Cells" in Rodents vs Primates: From Vision to Position and Episodic Memory - Mayank Mehta
Chair: Mayank Mehta, PhDInstitution: University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Co-Chair: Sylvia Wirth, PhD
Institution: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Date & Time: Monday, November 13, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: WCC 146AB
Theme: Theme F – Integrative Physiology and Behavior
The hippocampus supports spatial navigation and episodic memory. However, most rodent studies have focused on spatial navigation whereas primate studies have focused on memory. Controversially, place cells are rare in primates and non-spatial episodic memory cells are rare in rodents. Recent advances, using virtual reality and wireless recordings, have provided surprising insights to resolve this long-standing controversy, which may improve diagnosis and treatment of memory disorders and artificial intelligence.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Translation of Blood Brain Barrier Deficits Into Therapeutics for Neurological Diseases - Stefano Benvegnu
Chair: Stefano Benvegnu, PhDInstitution: ARUK Drug Discovery Institute
Co-Chair: Fiona Ducotterd, PhD
Institution: ARUK Drug Discovery Institute
Date & Time: Monday, November 13, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: WCC Ballroom C
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
This session will present a contemporary update on the role of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and implications of its of dysfunction in neurological diseases. Evolving techniques to study the BBB, and applications of in vitro and in vivo technologies in drug discovery and development will also be discussed. Finally, the session will explore strategies to neutralize blood toxicity to protect from neurodegeneration and promote neurorepair.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Human Adult, Aging, and Demented Brain: Novel Latest Evidence - Fred Gage
Chair: Fred Gage, PhDInstitution: Salk Institute
Co-Chair: Orly Lazarov, PhD
Institution: The University of Illinois at Chicago
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 14, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC Ballroom C
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
This symposium will present the latest evidence concerning the existence of hippocampal neurogenesis in the human brain in health and disease. Speakers will present the results of single-nucleus RNA-sequencing aided by a machine learning approach and show neurogenesis during infant, adolescent, adult, and aging. Multi-omics approach will provide novel information on neurogenesis in dementia. This new evidence has major clinical and therapeutic implications for brain function and dysfunction.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
The Emerging Noncoding RNA-Centric Biology of Neuronal Plasticity and Its Disorders - Sathyanarayanan Puthanveettil
Chair: Sathyanarayanan Puthanveettil, PhDInstitution: UF Scripps Biomedical Research
Co-Chair: Farah Lubin, PhD
Institution: University of Alabama, Birmingham
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 14, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC 146AB
Theme: Theme H – Cognition
Innovations in the RNA sequencing have led to the discovery of several new classes of noncoding RNAs. Among them, long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are particularly fascinating because of their potential for modulating the functions of genes, other RNAs and proteins. Their functions and mechanisms in neurons remain elusive. This session will highlight recent breakthroughs in our understanding of lncRNAs and circRNAs in mediating neuronal plasticity and its disorders.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Cell-Type Specific Epigenetic Regulation of Complex Neurobiological Disease - Elizabeth Heller
Chair: Elizabeth Heller, PhDInstitution: University of Pennsylvania
Co-Chair: Harrison Gabel, PhD
Institution: Washington University Medical School
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 14, 2–4:30 p.m.
Location: WCC 145
Theme: Theme G – Motivation and Emotion
Neurological and psychiatric diseases impact physiology, signaling, morphology, and gene expression across greatly diverse cell types in the brain. This session will present findings on cell-type specific epigenetic regulation in preclinical models of human disease, including stress, addiction, chronic pain, and cognition. Studies include epigenetic profiling and validation by cell-type-targeted manipulation and phenotyping in preclinical models that include age and sex as variables.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
Mechanisms and Modulations of the Brain Lymphatics System - Helene Benveniste
Chair: Helene Benveniste, MD, PhDInstitution: Yale School of Medicine
Co-Chair: Inna Belfer, PhD
Institution: NIH
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 15, 9:30 a.m.–noon
Location: WCC Ballroom C
Theme: Theme C – Neurodegenerative Disorders and Injury
The importance of the glymphatic-lymphatic system for brain health is supported by studies showing that the two systems clear waste in an age-dependent manner. The brain waste disposal process is not well understood. This session will review mechanistic regulators of glymphatic-lymphatic function. Speakers will showcase recent insights into modulators and technical advances that highlight the therapeutic potential of augmenting glymphatic-lymphatic system function for sustaining brain health.
To submit a question during the session, use the annual meeting mobile app.
