Neuroscientists Talk Shop: Recent Episodes
Neuroscientists Talk Shop
Neuroscientists Talk Shop is the University of Texas at San Antonio's (UTSA) Neurobiology Podcast, showcasing the current research of internationally renowned guest Neuroscientists. Each episode features a moderated discussion with a cross section of UTSA Neurobiology faculty, highlighting the featured guest's research, and the state of the art in the field at hand.
On April 30, 2026, we met with Dr. Courtney Rouse from the Southwest Research Institute. We discussed approaches to designing machine learning methods for neuroscience data analysis.
Guest:
Courtney Rouse, Senior Research Engineer, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio
Participating:
Erick Olivares, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On April 23, 2026 I met with Drs. Vanesa Nieto Estévez and Parul Varma to talk about brain organoids made from cells derived from patients with genetic childhood epilepsy. Vanesa and Parul explained how these patient-derived tissue cultures are used to isolate the defects in brain development that underly the brain disorder, and to suggest and test potential treatments.
Guests:
Vanesa Nieto Estévez and Parul Varma, Assistant Professors of Research, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On April 16, 2026, we met with Dr. Robert Froemke of New York University to discuss his work on parenting and co-parenting in mice. We covered a wide range of topics including his video approach to discovery in behavioral experiments and the role of oxytocin in parental behavior.
Guest:
Robert Froemke, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology and Department of Neuroscience at at New York University Langone Health.
Participating:
Alfonso Apicella, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Alice Bertero, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Jon Moler, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
On April 9, 2026 I spoke with Dr. Marcelo Marucho, on the electrical properties of actin filaments and microtubules, ubiquitous components of the cytoskeleton of nearly all cells. He explained how the surface charge of these proteins creates a thin charged layer in the adjacent cytoplasm in which electrical signals may be generated and conducted. In the case of microtubules, the interaction between external and luminal surfaces can produce oscillations. We discussed some of the possible functions of these electrical signals in the brain.
Guest:
Marcelo Marucho, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On April 2, 2026 we met with Dr. Daniel Llano to discuss the organization of the largest subcortical auditory brain structure, the inferior colliculus. He told us about the three major subnuclei within the inferior colliculus, their synaptic connections with other auditory and somatosensory structures, and the problems encountered as we try to identify the cell types and local connectivity within the nucleus.
Guest: Daniel A Llano, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Participating: Marina Silveira, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On March 26, 2026, we held our annual UTSA Neuroscience Symposium entitled "From Place Cells to Cognition", featuring 5 speakers presenting original research on the cognitive functions of hippocampal place cells. They discussed the firing patterns of place cells during exploration of cognitive maps, anticipating future movements, recall of previously visited locations, and imagining the movement of objects in the environment. After the symposium, I met with the speakers to review some of the themes that emerged throughout the day.
Speakers:
Francesco Savelli, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Annabelle Singer, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University
Albert Lee, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
Jill Leutgeb, Professor, Department of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego
Kamran Diba, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On March 19, 2026 we spoke with Dr. Se-Woong Park about the idea that many of the symptoms of Autism may arise from changes in brain mechanisms that allow us to predict events in the near future from those in the recent past. Topics included internal predictions of postural destabilization produced by our own movements, and prediction of the trajectories of moving objects. We discussed some experimental results testing this idea.
Guest:
Se-Woong Park, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, UTSA
Participating:
Hyoung-gon Lee, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On February 26, 2026 we were joined by Dr. Peter Fox to talk about quantitative brain imaging methods and how they can reveal localized changes in brain structure in brain disorders that traditionally have not been associated with specific neuropathology.
Guest:
Peter Fox, Director, Brain Imaging Institute and Professor of Radiology, Neurology, and Physiology at UT Health San Antonio.
Participating:
George Perry, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
On February 19, 2026 we were visited by Dr. Dayu Lin to hear about her work on some of the cell groups that make up the hypothalamus and their function in activating innate social behaviors in mice, including parenting and protection of their young.
Guest:
Dayu Lin, Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Langone Medical Center, New York University
Participating:
Antony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Aayushma Kunwar, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On February 5, 2026 we met with Dr.Jonathan Bohmann to learn about the structure and function of acetylcholinesterase, the extracellular enzyme that controls the strength and time course of neurotransmitter at cholinergic synapses. He explained how computational models of molecular structure is be used to understand the functional properties of the enzyme and to design drugs that can modify its action.
Guest:
Jonathan Bohmann, Scientist, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio
Participating:
Jenny Hsieh, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On January 30, 2026, Fidel Santamaria returned to the podcast (after 18 years) to talk about the thermodynamics of ion channel activation and deactivation, and the changes in neuronal activity that occur with changes in temperature.
Guest: Fidel Santamaria, Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology.
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology.
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On December 8, 2025 we spoke with Dr. Matthew Goodwin about the use of wearable biosensor technology and machine learning to improve behavioral evaluation of autism, to provide real time alerts for caregivers and more effective interventions before the onset of potentially dangerous behavioral situations.
Guest:
Matthew Goodwin, Professor and Associate Chair of Research at the Department of Public Health and Health Sciences and the Khouri College of Computer Sciences, at Northeastern University.
Participating:
Leslie Neeley, Director of the Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute, and Associate Director of the Brain Health Consortium, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On December 4, 2025 we talked with Dr. Mike Beckstead about his work on changes in dopaminergic neuron excitability in the ventral tegmental area in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease. Mike explained the molecular mechanism of the excitability change and the change in gene expression at its cause.
Guest:
Mike Beckstead, Professor and Hille Family Foundation Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Aging & Metabolism Research Program Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On November 20, 2025 we met with Dr. Cristian Lasagna-Reeves to talk about tau protein, its normal function, and what is known about how it aggregates to form the tangles seen in a variety of neurodegenerative brain conditions. We discussed the problem of determining whether the aggregates were causes or effects of the disease process, and whether reducing expression of tau might be an effective treatment.
Guest:
Cristian Lasagna-Reeves, Associate Professor, Dept. of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine
Participating:
George Perry, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Hyoung-gon Lee, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On November 13, 2025, we met with Dr. Maria Diehl, to learn about her experiments on avoidance learning in rats. The conversation focused on learning in a social context, in which one animal benefits from watching another learn the task.
We had to relocate this week, because of a noisy construction project in the hallway outside our usual room.
Guest:
Maria Diehl, Associate Professor in Psychological Science, Kansas State University.
Participating:
Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Itamar Lerner, Department of Psychology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On November 6, 2025, I spoke with Dr. Jason O'Connor about the behavioral and psychological effects of inflammation, and their similarity to depression. Jason explained how inflammation can produce those symptoms by increasing levels of kynurenine and metabolites in the brain. We discussed the possibility that depression may sometimes result from a rise in those metabolites in the absence of inflammation.
Guest:
Jason O'Connor, Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the UT San Antonio Long School of Medicine and the Audie Murphy VA Hospital.
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On October 23, 2025 we met with Dr. Peter Crino about how mutations occurring during cell division in the developing cerebral cortex can lead to localized developmental malformations of cortical structure and neurological disorders including focal epilepsy.
Guest:
Peter Crino, Richard and Kathryn Taylor Professor, Chair, Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Participating:
Jenny Hsieh, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio.
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio.
On October 16, 2025 we spoke with Sara Swinford-Jackson about effects of parental drug self-administration on motivated drug taking in offspring in rodents. Sarah discussed the approach taken to remove genetic and environmental contributions to isolate the epigenetic contribution, and to identify the biological mechanism.
Guest
Sarah Swinford-Jackson, Assistant professor of Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University.
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio.
Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio.
Ashley Miller, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio.
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio.
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On October 9, 2025 we met with Maria Geffen to discuss the how three kinds of inhibitory neurons in the auditory cortex each contributes to individual features of auditory experience.
Guest:
Maria Geffen, Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, University of Pennsylvania
Participating:
Alfonso Apicella, Department of Neuroscience, Regenerative and Developmental Biology, UTSA
Alice Bertero, Department of Neuroscience, Regenerative and Developmental Biology, UTSA
Jon-Paul Moler, Department of Neuroscience, Regenerative and Developmental Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Regenerative and Developmental Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On October 2, 2025 Dan Lodge returned to the podcast to talk about the physiological changes in brain circuits associated with schizophrenia. We reviewed the status of the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia and the brain circuits responsible for its negative, positive, and cognitive symptoms.
Guest:
Dan Lodge, Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Long School of Medicine, UT San Antonio
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UT San Antonio
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On September 25, 2025 we met with Daniel Dombeck to talk about cognitive maps and place coding by neurons in the hippocampus. Conversation topics included the spatial organization of cells with a map, mappings based on visual versus olfactory cues, changes in spatial scale with the size of the environment, and remapping of the place cells with changes in context.
Guest:
Daniel Dombeck, Professor, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University
Participating:
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Stephen Jones, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On September 18, 2025, and we got to talk with Ricardo Mozzachiodi about what was learned and what we continue to learn about the cellular and molecular basis of memory by studying simple behaviors in a mollusk, Aplysia california, the sea hare. Ricardo filled us in on the original rationale for studying cell biology of learning in this animal, and current findings on the role of neuromodulators in learning.
Guest:
Ricardo Mozzachiodi, Professor, Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi.
Participating:
Alfonso Apicella, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On September 4, 2025 we talked with Michael Roberts about exploring complex brainstem circuitry of the auditory system, identifying its characteristic cell types, connections, synaptic features and cellular dynamics. We discussed the challenges encountered in studying brain circuits in general, and the particular difficulties and opportunities that attend this effort in the inferior colliculus.
Guest: Michael Roberts, Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan.
Participating:
Marina Silveira, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On May 8, 2025 we met with Kevin Bieniek to talk about the nature of brain injury seen in chronic traumatic encephalopathy in athletes and others who experience repeated concussion. Kevin explained the commonalities and unique features of those injuries compared to neurodegenerative diseases.
Guest:
Kevin Bieniek, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Director of the Brain Bank at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio.
Participating:
Melanie Carless, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On April 17, 2025 we met with Nicholas Priebe to describe developments in the study of neuronal representations of the visual world. We discussed the origin of variability the temporal patterns of responses, and the possibility that responses are influenced by non-visual pathways.
Guest:
Nicholas Priebe, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin
Participating:
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On April 10th (I said April 4th, but it was the 10th), 2025 we spoke with Punam Pokam about the molecular mechanisms that control osmotic balance of neurons and glia, and their changes after brain injury. She also explained the pathological membrane potential changes and ionic currents that are associated with injury and their relation to cell swelling.
Guest:
Punam Pokam, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M School of Medicine
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On April 3, 2025 we met with Lorena Saelices to talk about what we know about the structure of amyloids, how they form by misfolding and aggregation of proteins, and how they damage cells and tissues in a range of disorders (including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases).
Guest:
Lorena Saelices, Assistant Professor, Department of Biophysics and the Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at the UT Southwestern Medical School.
Participating:
Chris Gamblin, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson , Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On March 27, 2025, we spoke with Nace Golding about the auditory pathways in the brainstem and midbrain. We focused on the inferior colliculus, and on identifying the key cell types that make up that essential but mysterious midbrain auditory nucleus.
Guest:
Nace Golding, Professor, Department of Neuroscience and the Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin.
Participating:
Marina Silveira, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On March 20, 2025 we spoke with the speakers at our annual UTSA Neuroscience Symposium for 2025, entitled "Prefrontal Cortical Functions Beyond Fear". The panel talked about the contribution of medial prefrontal cortex in fear, threat and safety learning, cognitive flexibility, psychiatric disorders, recent and remote memory, and some other things.
Guests
Anthony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Laura Denardo, Department of Physiology, UCLA School of Medicine
Jason Keller, HHMI Janelia Research Campus
David Morilak, Department of Pharmacology, UT Health San Antonio
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On February 27, 2025 we were joined by Xue Han about using genetically expressed fluorescent voltage sensors to measure transmembrane voltage simultaneously in multiple neurons in the brain of awake behaving animals over days or weeks. She explained how the genetic sequences for the voltage sensor molecules are found and perfected, how they are delivered to the neurons of interest, the challenges of measuring voltage by changes in fluorescence, and the kinds of questions whose solutions are waiting for this technology.
Guest:
Xue Han, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On February 13, 2025 we met with Yin Shen to discuss the contribution of cis-regulatory non-coding DNA sequences in controlling gene expression, and how variation of these regions in microglia may be risk factors in idiopathic brain diseases.
Guest:
Yin Shen, Professor in the Department of Neurology and the Institute for Human Genetics in the Weill Institute for Neurosciences at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
Participating:
Melanie Carless, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On January 30, 2025 we spoke with Ekaterina (Katya) Likhtic about the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and the circuits responsible for fear conditioning and extinction. She informed us about the special contribution of the amygdala to emotion and emotional learning, and we discussed the special place of fear conditioning as a model for learning generally.
Guest:
Katya Likhtic, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Hunter City University of New York.
Participating:
Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Itamar Lerner, Department of Psychology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
On December 13, 2024 we spoke with the speakers at our annual UTSA Neuroscience Symposium, on the Basal Ganglia Circuitry. Topics of discussion included the heterogeneity of cells and connections, the usefulness of the idea of cell types (or lack thereof), and the relationship between neuromodulators and fast synaptic transmission.
Sorry about the sound quality on this one.
Guests:
Charles Gerfen, Senior Investigator, National Institute of Mental Health
Joshua Goldberg, Associate Professor, Department of Medical Neurobiology, The Hebrew University
Zayd Khaliq, Senior Investigator, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke
Tianyi Mao, Senior Scientist, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
Gilad Silberberg, Professor | Docent, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute
D. James Surmeier, Professor, Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On December 5, 2024 we spoke with Jason Chen about G-protein signaling in the mammalian photoreceptors, and the G-protein regulator proteins that govern the speed of transduction and the temporal resolution of vision.
Guest:
Jason Chen, Professor in the Departments of Molecular Medicine and Ophthalmology, and Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Chair in Retinal Signaling at UT Health San Antonio.
Participating:
Erika Tatiana Camacho, Departments of Mathematics and Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On November 21, 2024 we spoke with Jonathan Fadok on the brain circuits that choose whether an animal will freeze or try to escape in the presence of a dangerous stimulus.
Guest:
Jonathan Fadok, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Brain Institute at Tulane University.
Participating:
Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On November 14, 2024 we spoke with Claudio Punzo on the metabolic interdependence of the retinal pigment epithelium and the photoreceptors of the retina, and its implications for the degenerative process in macular degeneration
Guest:
Claudio Punzo, Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
Participating:
Erika Tatiana Camacho, Departments of Mathematics and Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On November 7, 2024 we spoke with Carlos Bassetto about the relationship between molecular structure and functional states of the ion channels that underlie all electrical signals in the nervous system.
Guest:
Carlos Bassetto, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UTSA
Participating:
Fidel Santamaria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
Neuroscientists Talk Shop: Raju Metherate on nicotine and auditory processing
On October 31, 2024 we spoke with Raju Metherate, on the sites of action of nicotine in the auditory pathway and the mechanism by which it enhances cortical responses to sound.
Guest:
Raju Metherate, Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine
Participating:
Alfonso Apicella, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On October 17, 2024 we talked with Eric Fortune about the electric field sensory system in weakly electric fish and its function in social communication, predation and spatial localization. Eric explained how his collaboration with engineers and application of control systems opened a window on the function of the animal's movement in this sensory system.
Guest:
Eric Fortune, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Participating:
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On October 10, 2024 we met with Ranmal Samarsinghe to talk about the use of cortical assembloids, three-dimensional cultures containing both excitatory and inhibitory neurons. to explore the development and function of the cerebral cortex.
Guest:
Ranmal Samarasinghe, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Participating:
Sara Mirsadegi, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On September 26, 2024 we spoke with Jones Parker about dopamine receptors, the changes in neuronal activity produced by various antipsychotic drugs, and their relationship to antipsychotic efficacy in humans.
Guest:
Jones Parker, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On September 23, 2024 we met with Andy Groves to discuss the inner ear and hearing loss, why we can't regenerate our auditory receptors, and how we might someday be able to rebuild our auditory epithelium using gene therapy.
Guest:
Andy Groves, Professor and Vivian L Smith Endowed Chair in Neuroscience, Departments of Neuroscience and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine.
Participating:
Marina Silveira, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On September 12, 2024 we got to talk with Brian Lundstrom about the origin of epilepsy, the use of electrical recordings in its diagnosis, and brain stimulation as a treatment. Brian explained the difficulties of inferring cortical network function from EEG signals, and the problem of studying a disease whose symptoms manifest rarely and intermittently.
Guest:
Brian Lundstrom, Associate Professor in Neurology and Biophysics in the division of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, in Mayo Clinic
Participating:
Fidel Santamaria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On September 9, 2024 we got to talk to Marina Silveira about the inferior colliculus, its place in the auditory pathway, and the effort to understand its cellular makeup, internal structure, and auditory functions.
Guest:
Marina Silveira, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On August 29, 2024 we spoke with Melanie Carless about cellular models of Alzheimer's disease generated using direct programming of brain cells from fibroblasts derived from patients, which can be used to find epigenetic signatures of the disease.
Guest:
Melanie Carless, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Participating:
Uchit Bhaskar, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On May 2, 2024 we spoke with Skirmantas Janusonis on the peculiar morphology and spatial distribution of the serotonin innervation of the brain, and his idea that it can be described using the mathematics of fractional Brownian motion. We consider the kind of developmental mechanisms that could be responsible.
Guest:
Skirmantas Janusonis, Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Participating:
Fidel Santamaria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On April 25, 2024, we met with the 5 speakers for this year's Annual Neuroscience Symposium at UTSA to discuss epigenetics and nervous system development. We discussed the best known molecular mechanisms that control patterns of gene expression and current limitations faced in studies of those mechanisms. We also discussed the promise of epigenetics to explain the differentiation of nervous system cell types, mechanisms of developmental, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
Guests:
Melanie Carless, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Christine Ladd-Acosta, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Paulino Ramirez, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio
Alexey Soshnev, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Hehuang "David" Xie, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On April 18, 2024 we spoke with Nancy Philp about the blood supply to the retina and the cells and membrane transporters that deliver glucose and lactate to photoreceptors and other cells for glycolytic and aerobic metabolism.
Guest:
Nancy Philp, Professor, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical School, Thomas Jefferson University
Participating:
Erica Tatiana Camacho, Departments of Mathematics and Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On April 4, 2024 we had a chance to talk to Kara Marshall about the membrane protein PIEZO2, which is responsible for sensory transduction of many of the mechanical senses, including light touch, vibration, and proprioception. We especially focused on its function in sensing internal pressure and movement, including bladder pressure and blood pressure.
Guest:
Kara Marshall, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine
Participating:
Lindsey Macpherson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On March 21, 2024, we spoke with Dennis Sparta on the complexity of brain circuitry and strategies for dissecting out the contributions of different brain areas engaged in reward and in alcohol use.
Guest:
Dennis Sparta, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago.
Participating:
Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On March 7, 2024, we were joined by Lynn Dobrunz to talk about brain circuits underlying anxiety and PTSD, and the role of neuropeptide Y modulation of glutamate transmission in the hippocampus and amygdala.
Guest:
Lynn Dobrunz, who is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Director of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis.
Participating:
Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On February 29, 2024 we got to talk to Dwight Bergles about the cellular mechanism that generates spontaneous activity in auditory receptors before the onset of hearing, and the function of that activity in development of appropriate circuitry throughout the auditory pathway.
Guest:
Dwight Bergles,Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, and Otolaryrngology-Head & Neck Surgery, and the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
Participating:
Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On February 22, 2024 we talked with Janko Gospocic about changes in gene expression associated with changes in social status in a fascinating species of ants.
Guest:
Janko Gospocic, Assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences at UT Southwestern University
Participating:
Lacy Barton, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On February 15, 2024 we talked with Yarimar Carrasquillo on acute and chronic pain, and the brain circuits responsible for self-maintaining pathological chronic pain.
Guest:
Yarimar Carrasquillo, Investigator, Section on Behavioral Neurocircuitry and Cellular Plasticity at the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Participating:
Lindsey Macpherson,Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On February 8, 2024, we met with Josh Neunuebel, to discuss his work on ultrasonic vocalization during mouse social behavior. We discussed his method for experimental compilation of the range of socially used vocalizations, and determining their behavioral meanings.
Guest:
Josh Neunuebel, Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware.
Participating:
Alfonso Apicella, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Nicole Wicha, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On February 1, 2024, Lori Holt joined us to talk about categorical perception of speech (and some other) sounds, how they are learned and the brain mechanisms responsible for them.
Guest:
Lori Holt, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
Participating:
Nicole Wicha, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On January 25, 2024 we spoke with Michael Long about vocalization, language and conversation from birds to humans. We discuss what can be learned from birdsong, warbling in parrots, singing mice, and human conversation.
Guest: Michael Long, Thomas Suzanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology and Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the New York University School of Medicine.
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On January 19, 2024 we talked with Itamar Lerner on the complex relationship between sleep and learning, the phases of sleep, and kinds of learning.
Guest:
Itamar Lerner, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On November 30, 2023 we spoke with Rebecca Shansky on the brain circuits responsible for fear learning, the errors we make as we simplify measurement to make behavioral experiments practical, and the future of behavioral science.
Guest:
Rebecca Shansky, Professor, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Morgan Johnston, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On November 27, 2023 we had the special opportunity to chat with Erica Korb about the nucleosome - the histone protein and DNA structure that controls the availability of genes for transcription. She explained about replication dependent and replication independent histone variants and the special demands on and features of the nucleosome of neurons.
Guest:
Erica Korb, Assistant Professor of Genetics and the Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Participating:
Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On November 9, 2023 we talked to Anne West about promoters, transcription factors and histones for controlling gene expression in neurons during development and adulthood.
Guest:
Anne West, Professor of Neurobiology and Cell Biology, Duke University
Participating,
Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Developmental Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Developmental Biology, UTSA
Thanks to JM Tepper for original music
On November 2, 2023 we spoke with Allan Gulledge on the function of neuromodulation and neuromodulators, especially acetylcholine, in the cerebral cortex. We asked him about their role is cortical signal processing and state changes in the circuit.
Guest: Allan Gulledge, Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College
Participating:
David Jaffe, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music.
On October 26, 2023 we spike with Ben Clark about the construction and properties of a cognitive map in the brain. We considered the existing data on cellular responses that have been described in the cortex, thalamus and hippocampus, and how cells with those responses could be part of a system that is used to map space.
Guest:
Ben Clark, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico,
Participating:
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to James Tepper for original music
On October 19, 2023 we spoke with MacKenzie Howard on the genetics and neurophysiology of Dravet syndrome, a severe genetic and developmental form of epilepsy. We learned how the a single genetic mutation can lead to a cascade of physiological defects during development.
Guest:
MacKenzie Howard, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and the Center for Learning and Memory at the Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin.
Participating:
Jenny Hsieh, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music
On September 28, 2023 we spoke with Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera about measuring arousal and its role in motivated behavior.
Guest:
Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Cell Biology and Physiology, and Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Participating:
Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
thanks to JM Tepper for original music
On September 21st, 2023, we spoke with Tianyi Mao about improved methods for studying the spatial organization of connections between brain regions.
This is Tianyi's second appearance on Neuroscientists Talk Shop. The previous one was Episode 35, from 14 years ago, in September 2009
Guest
Tianyi Mao, Scientist, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University
Participant
James Jones, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
thanks to JM Tepper for original music
On September 14 we spoke with Carrie Cuttler on experimental studies of the cognitive effects of chronic cannabis use and acute cannabis intoxication. She explained some of the obstacles that exist in the study of the effects of cannabis on the nervous system and on behavior, and on the current status of our knowledge in this area.
Guest:
Carrie Cuttler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Washington State University.
Participating:
Tony Allevato, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Morgan Johnston, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
thanks to JM Tepper for original music
On August 31, 2023 we got a chance to talk to Lindsey Macpherson on the functional organization of the taste buds, taste cells, and the primary afferent neurons of taste in the geniculate and petrosal ganglia. Lindsey has joined our discussion several times in the past, but this time we discuss her own experimental work on the taste system.
Guest:
Lindsey Macpherson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Participating:
Bryan Fowler, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music
On August 24, we met with Mike Mauk to talk about the importance of timing in learned movements, and the granularity of the representation of time in the cerebellar cortex. This was Mike's second time on the podcast. We talked to him previously in September, 2008. To listen to that podcast, go to episode 16 of the audio-only podcasts, on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neuroscientists-talk-shop/id279181187), or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/0Aq8iLa3MWb1utTzcdI5vp).
Guest:
Michael Mauk, Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin.
Participating:
Joshua Goldberg, Department of Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Israel
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On February 5, 2009, we were joined by Allison Doupe, who was Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Physiology at the University of California San Francisco. Allison talked with us about the value of learned birdsong as a model for sensory and motor learning, the brain circuitry responsible for learning, remembering and controlling the song, and the importance of variability in adapting the song to changes in animal state or the environment.
Somehow, that conversation was never posted. I encountered it while searching through old files looking for something else, and just recently heard it for the first time. It is a wonderful conversation with a creative and insightful neuroscientist, and the information is still current, so I am posting it now.
Stay on after the podcast to listen to an outtake containing a conversation between Allison and Michael Farries on the pallium, the functional equivalent of the cerebral cortex birds, and whether birds do or do not have a cerebral cortex.
Guest: Allison Doupe, University of California San Francisco
Participating:
Michael Farries Department of Biology, UTSA
Kelly Suter Department of Biology, UTSA
Nicole Wicha Department of Biology, UTSA
Carlos Paladini Department of Biology, UTSA
Rama Ratnam Department of Biology, UTSA
Todd Troyer Department of Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi, Department of Biology, UTSA
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music
On April 27, we met with Kara Federmeier to talk about brain mechanisms of human semantic processing. We discussed the role of meaning in human language comprehension and production, in comparison to that of large language models like ChatGPT, which presumably do not know what they are saying.
Guest:
Kara Federmeier, Professor, Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience and The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois.
Participating:
Nicole Wicha, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Antonio Allevato, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On April 13, 2023 we met with Steve Chang to learn about brain mechanisms for social decision making - deciding to share or not to share, acting on another's behalf, and learning by watching what others do.
Guest: Steve Chang, Associate Professor of the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience at Yale University.
Participating: Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
On March 29, 2023 we spoke with Jayeeta Basu about the level of autonomy exercised by neuronal dendrites in synaptic integration, the factors that control coupling between dendrites and the soma, and the possible role of dendritic processing in generating the responses of neurons.
Guest: Jayeeta Basu, Assistant Professor, Neuroscience Institute, the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, and the Department of Psychiatry at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
Participating: Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Paper mentioned during the discussion: Bilash OM, Chavlis S, Johnson CD, Poirazi P, Basu J. Lateral entorhinal cortex inputs modulate hippocampal dendritic excitability by recruiting a local disinhibitory microcircuit. Cell Rep. 2023 Jan 31;42(1):111962.
On March 9, 2023 we spoke with Lauren Dobbs about the relationship between dopamine receptors and opiate peptide co-transmitters in the striatum, and implications for the mechanisms of action of cocaine and opiate drugs.
Guest: Lauren Dobbs, Assistant Professor, Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Texas at Austin.
Participating: Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
On March 2nd, 2023 we got a chance to talk to Carmen Canavier, from LSU Health in New Orleans. This is Carmen's second time on the podcast. Her previous visit was in 2015 (Episode 127), and she talked to us about the dynamics of dopamine neurons. This time she shared her insights on theta and gamma oscillations and spike timing in the entorhinal cortex.
Guest:
Carmen Canavier, Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine.
Participating:
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
On February 23, 2023 we spoke with Zoé McElligott about alcohol, the difficulties encountered trying to understand its effects on the brain and the origins of alcohol use disorder.
Guest:
Zoé McElligott, Bowles Center of Alcohol Studies Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On February 16, 2023 we got a chance to chat with Rakez Kayed on the tau protein, the key constituent in neurofibrillary tangles that are seen in the brain in Alzheimer's disease, and present in many other kinds of neurodegeneration. He answered our questions about what tau protein is, how it is changed in neurodegenerative diseases, and what might be done about it.
Guest:
Rakez Kayed, Professor in the Department of Neurology and the George and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston Texas.
Participating:
George Perry, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On December 1, 2022, we got the opportunity to talk to Shannon Macauley about the multiplicity of causes and effects in the etiology of Alzheimers Disease, and her experimental work on the contributions of sleep patterns, age, blood and brain glucose and lactate, and insulin.
Guest:
Shannon Macauley, Associate Professor in the Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, and the Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Participating:
Melanie Carless, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Uchit Bhaskar, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On November 17, 2022 we talked with Susan Sangha about brain mechanisms of learned fear and safety, and the neural circuits in the amygdala, cerebral cortex and hippocampus that evaluate threat and mediate our responses to it.
Guest:
Susan Sangha, Department of Psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Stark Neuroscience Research Institute.
Participating:
Anthony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On November 3rd, 2022 we talked with Harold Zakon about the cells that enable weakly electric fish to generate electric fields around themselves and to use them as a sensory and social communication system. Harold described the remarkable independent evolution of this capability twice, in the African and in the South American electric fish, and the host of coordinated genetic changes that were required to create this entirely new sensory modality.
Host
Harold Zakon, Departments of Neuroscience, and Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
Participating
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On November 3rd, 2022 we talked with Harold Zakon about the cells that enable weakly electric fish to generate electric fields around themselves and to use them as a sensory and social communication system. Harold described the remarkable independent evolution of this capability twice, in the African and in the South American electric fish, and the host of coordinated genetic changes that were required to create this entirely new sensory modality.
Host
Harold Zakon, Departments of Neuroscience, and Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
Participating
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On October 27, 2022 we got the opportunity to talk to Michael Scofield about methods used to study the structure and synaptic function of astrocytes, and some of the advances that have resulted from their use, especially for glutamatergic synapses in the cerebral cortex.
Guest:
Michael Scofield, Departments of Neuroscience and Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at Medical University of South Carolina.
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On October 27, 2022 we got the opportunity to talk to Michael Scofield about methods used to study the structure and synaptic function of astrocytes, and some of the advances that have resulted from their use, especially for glutamatergic synapses in the cerebral cortex.
Guest:
Michael Scofield, Departments of Neuroscience and Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at Medical University of South Carolina.
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On Thursday, October 20, we held our 13th annual Neuroscience Symposium. The topic was organoid models of cortical development. Brain organoids are 3-dimensional tissues grown from pluripotent stem cells. For studying cortical development, the stem cells are cultured under conditions that promote differentiation into cerebral cortex neurons. The participants in the symposium spoke on the use of organoids as a model to study human cortical development and disorders of development.
After the symposium, the speakers met for a panel discussion, which was recorded.
Participating:
Jenny Hsieh, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Giorgia Quadrato, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California
Vanesa Nieto-Estevez, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Fikri Birey, Emory University School of Medicine
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On October 13, 2022 we sat down to chat with Mel B. Feany about the molecular processes underlying the neuropathology of alpha-synuclein and Parkinson's disease. We focused on her findings implicating the actin cytoskeleton as an intermediary in mitochondrial dysfunction and other cellular mechanisms that contribute to pathology and cell death.
Guest:
Mel B Feany, Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Participating:
Chris Gamblin, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Hyoung-gon Lee, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On Thursday, October 6, 2022 we got the opportunity to talk to Nicolas Tritsch about his studies of oscillatory fluctuations in dopamine and acetylcholine measured simultaneously in the striatum during behavior. We started from the technical side of this new experimental technology, but the conversation ranged into the implications of these oscillations for striatal function and learning, and for Parkinson's disease.
Guest: Nicolas Tritsch, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Physiology and the Neuroscience Institute at the New York University School of Medicine.
Participating:
James Jones, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
On Thursday, September 8, 2022 we were joined by Genaro Coria-Avila, to talk about sexually dimorphic nuclei in the brain, other forms of brain sexual dimorphism, and their relation to sexual behavior.
Guest:
Dr. Genaro Coria-Avila, Genaro is a research scientist at the Brain Research Institute at the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico.
Participating:
Fidel Santamaria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
Daniela Monje, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
On August 25, 2022 we welcomed Drew Maurer to talk about the language used by hippocampal neurons to communicate with each other and with other cells in the brain. The conversation started by referring to last month’s retrospective of the John Lisman podcast from long ago, but ranged over a number of other topics, including the future prospects for understanding brain dynamics from electrophysiological recordings.
Guest: Andrew Maurer, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Florida.
Participating:
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
James Jones, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
The previous podcast to which we refer is episode 247, John Lisman Retrospective
Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtAQBIwN6H8N5D-zSjPhp0jkok9sGtAeI
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
On Thursday March 6, 2008 we recorded episode 9 of Neuroscientists talk Shop. Our guess was John Lisman, from Brandeis University. We enjoyed a 50 minute discussion with John that touched on a range of topics. This retrospective summary of that conversation has been heavily edited for linearity, and the topics have been thinned out somewhat. John's unique perspective is evident throughout, and although this was 14 years ago, most of the topics still seem current and John's insights into the process of discovery are still valuable for us today.
Guest: John Lisman, Zalman Abraham Kekst Chair in Neuroscience and Professor of Biology and of the Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University.
Participating:
Brian Derrick, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
David Senseman, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Todd Troyer, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Charles Wilson, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Original John Lisman Podcast:
https://snrp.utsa.edu/Podcast/Entries/2008/3/6_John_Lisman%2C_PhD.html
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtAQBIwN6H8N5D-zSjPhp0jkok9sGtAeI
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
On Thursday November 15, 2007 we recorded episode 3 of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Our guest was William Ross, who was, and still is, Professor in the Department of Physiology at New York Medical College, Valhalla. We talked to Bill about imaging techniques for neurophysiology, especially calcium imaging, which he helped to found and develop It is wonderful, from today’s perspective, to see how he was able to envision the developments that have happened in the meantime and it is a joy to take this retrospective look at one of our earliest podcasts.
Guest: William Ross, Professor of Neurophysiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla.
https://www.nymc.edu/faculty/directory/by-name/ross-william/
Participating:
Carlos Paladini, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Fidel Santamaria, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Charles Wilson, Dept. of Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi, Dept. of Biology UTSA
Original Bill Ross Podcast:
http://snrp.utsa.edu/Podcast/Entries/2007/11/15_William_Ross%2C_PhD.html
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtAQBIwN6H8N5D-zSjPhp0jkok9sGtAeI
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
On April 28, 2020 we met with Hojoon Lee to discuss taste receptors, their constant turnover, and the need for the taste system to constantly recreate the specificity of connections between taste receptors and the brain.
This is our last episode for the Spring. We’ll be back in August.
Guest: Hojoon Lee, Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University. https://www.hojoonlee.org/
Participating:
Lindsey Macpherson Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtAQBIwN6H8N5D-zSjPhp0jkok9sGtAeI
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
On April 25 we got the opportunity to chat with Eric Olson, on gene editing with CRISPR and its application to genetic disease. Eric explained the alternative forms of CRISPR and their applications, as well as his own experience designing a gene editing treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Guest: Eric Olson, Professor and Chair of Molecular Biology UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He also directs the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine and the Wellstone Center for Muscular Dystrophy Research. He holds the Annie and Willie Nelson Professorship in Stem Cell research, and the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in sciences. https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs/olson/
Participating:
Jenny Hsieh, Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology UTSA
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtAQBIwN6H8N5D-zSjPhp0jkok9sGtAeI
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
On April 21, 2022 we welcomed Heidi Meyer, to discuss the development affective learning and the brain, particularly during adolescence.
Guest:
Heidi Meyer, Assistant Professor in the Psychological And Brain Sciences Department and the Center for Systems Neuroscience at Boston University.
https://www.meyerlabneuro.com/heidithmeyer
Participating:
Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On April 14, 2022 we spoke with Consuelo (Chello) Walass-Bass about genetics and epigenetics of psychiatric disorders.
Guest:
Consuelo Walss-Bass, Professor and John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School.
https://med.uth.edu/psychiatry/faculty/consuelo-walss-bass-phd/
Participating:
Melanie Carliss, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On April 7, 2022 we talked with Marco Pagani about the search for the relationship between genetics, brain function, and behavioral phenotype in human autism and in animal models of autism.
Marco Pagani, PhD, is a Marie Curie Global Research Fellow at the Autism Center of the Child Mind Institute and at the Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy.
https://childmind.org/bio/marco-pagani-phd/
Participating:
Alice Bertero, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Nicole Wicha, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On March 31, 2022, we talked to Aryn Gittis about globus pallidus cell types and circuits, and the idea of selective stimulation to improve the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Gittis is Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. https://labs.bio.cmu.edu/gittis/
Participating:
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://snrp.utsa.edu
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On March 24, 2002 we had the opportunity to chat with Tom Finger about taste receptors, ATP-mediated synaptic transmission, and the various chemosensory systems across phylogeny.
Dr. Finger is Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/cell-and-developmental-biology/faculty/tom-finger
Participating:
Isabel Muzzio, Professor, UTSA Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Host:
Lindsey Macpherson, Assistant Professor, UTSA Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On March 3, 2022, we chatted with Dr. Bennett Novitch, about the development of cortical circuits, the replication of cortical development using organoids formed from human pluripotent stem cells, and the changes in function seen in cortical organoids with mutations that produce an epileptic condition in humans.
Dr. Novitch is Professor of Neurobiology and the Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. https://novitchlab.com/
We were joined by Dr. Jenny Hsieh, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA. https://hsiehlab.org/
Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
UTSA Brain Health Consortium https://www.utsa.edu/bhc
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On February 24, 2022 we welcomed Caitlin Orsini to chat with us about risky decisions and the brain circuits that help to make them, especially the lateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens shell.
Dr. Orsini is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neurology and the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School.
Joining in:
Isabel Muzzio, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On February 17, 2022 we got a chance to talk to Sara Burke about the translational gap between studies of aging in humans and animal models, and the tools she uses to find behavioral tasks that can cross the divide and measure aging-related cognitive impairments in animals.
Dr. Burke is Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Associate Director of the Cognitive Aging and Memory Center at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
https://neuroscience.ufl.edu/profile/burke-sara/
Joining in:
Isabel Muzzio, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Charles Wilson - Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On February 10, 2022 we welcomed Dan Butts, to talk about studying sensory system function by statistical modeling of neuron populations in the awake state during natural or near-natural sensory stimulation. We discuss the use of machine learning tools for data analysis and the interaction between theories of natural perception and of deep neural networks
Dr. Butts is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park.
https://neurotheory.umd.edu/PeoplePages/dbutts.html
Joining in:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi - Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute & Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On December 2, 2021 we met with Srdjan Antic, to discuss the current state of voltage sensitive imaging in single neurons and in populations, its application to the study of dendritic electrical signals and synaptic integration, and the future of this method for neuroscience.
Dr. Antic is Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Connecticut Medical School
https://health.uconn.edu/antic-lab/
Joining in:
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi - Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute & Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA
https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On November 11, 2021, We welcomed Jason Stein to discuss genetics, causality, brain organoid models, and large scale studies of the genetics of brain structure and disease.
Dr. Stein is Associate Professor Dept. Genetics and Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
https://www.steinlab.org/
Joining us:
Melanie Carless, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On October 28, 2021 we met with Asohn Amarsingham. We discussed pitfalls in the discovery of neural codes, the practice of statistics in neuroscience, the quest to minimize our assumptions, the and the origin of stochasticity in neural data.
Dr. Amarasingham is Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, City College of New York. https://math.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/person/asohan-amarasingham/
Joining Us:
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental & Regenerative Biology at UTSA.
Todd Troyer, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental & Regenerative Biology at UTSA.
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental & Regenerative Biology at UTSA.
Host:
Salma Quraishi, Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On September 23, 2021, UTSA neuroscientists had the opportunity to chat with Douglas Nitz, Professor and Chair of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego about neural representation of space and movement in the hippocampus, and on the origin of concepts in the brain.
Dr. Nitz is Professor and Chair of the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California San Diego
https://dnitz.bookmark.com/
Joining us:
Isabel Muzzio, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Host:
Salma Quraishi, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On September 16, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Max Fletcher (UT Memphis HSC) for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Lindsey Macpherson and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about gustatory cortex, taste representations and decision making.
Dr. Fletcher is Associate Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center.
https://www.uthsc.edu/neuroscience-in...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
Lindsey Macpherson PhD is Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Developmental & Regenerative Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On May 5, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Josh Goldberg to talk about how the earliest prodromal symptoms of Parkinson's manifest at a cellular and network level in the autonomic nervous system. Charlie Wilson and Salma Quraishi talked with him about identifying distinct biophysical adaptations in an adult-onset mouse model, and how these changes are sufficient to explain one of the earliest signs of disease (hint: constipation!).
Dr. Goldberg is Associate Professor of Medical Neurobiology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
http://www.goldberglab.net
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On April 30, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Sergio Ferreira (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) to discuss Alzheimer's Disease as a pathology of proteostasis. Hyoung-gon Lee, Chris Gamblin and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about how he is targeting protein synthesis to rescue defective synaptic plasticity and restore memory performance in a specific amyloid model of Alzheimer's.
Dr. Ferreira is Professor of Biochemistry & Neuroscience in the Center for Health Sciences at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
https://www.ferreiralab.org/
Hyoung gon Lee PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Chris Gamblin is Professor of Biology at UTSA
https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On April 15, 2021 we were joined by Kamran Diba, to talk about hippocampal sharp wave ripples, theta oscillations, sleep, behavior, memory and memory replay.
Dr. Diba is Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology in the University of Michigan Medical School.
https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/diba-lab/
Charles J. Wilson, Professor, Dept. of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
Francesco Savelli, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA
Host:
Salma Quraishi PhD, Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On April 8, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Alfredo Fontanini (Stony Brook University) to talk about gustatory insular cortex. Charles J. Wilson, Fidel Santamaria, Lindsey Macpherson and Salma Quraishi chatted with him on the role of gustatory cortex in taste, expectation and decision making.
Alfredo Fontanini MD PhD is Professor & Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.
https://www.fontaninilab.org/
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Fidel Santamaria PhD is Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Lindsey Macpherson PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On April 1, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Jill Crittenden to talk about the striosomal and matrix compartments of the striatum, differences in their connections, and differences in their behavioral function.
Dr. Crittenden is Scientific Advisor to the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT.
participating in the discussion:
Charles J. Wilson, Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
James Jones, PhD, basal ganglia investigator and PhD student in the Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology at UTSA.
Hosting:
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On March 25, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Dr. Kay Tye of the Salk Institute for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Tony Burgos-Robles, Charlie Wilson, Matt Wanat, and Salma Quraishi chatted with her about studying social interaction and the effects of social isolation from a neural circuit vantage point.
Dr. Tye is Wylie Vale Chair and Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and in the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, both at UC San Diego.
https://www.salk.edu/scientist/kay-tye/
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Matt Wanat PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA.
https://www.wanatlab.org/
Tony Burgos-Robles PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA.
https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On March 18, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Sachin Deshmukh to talk space, environmental complexity and information flow in the entorhinal-hippocampal network. Charles J. Wilson, Francesco Savelli and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about how spatial representations arising in lateral entorhinal cortex with increasing environmental complexity are propagated through the hippocampal circuit.
Dr. Deshmukh is Wellcome Trust DBT Intermediate Fellow in the Centre for Neuroscience at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
http://www.cns.iisc.ac.in/home/people...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
Francesco Savelli PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On February 25, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Dr. Lara Hwa for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Matt Wanat, and Salma Quraishi chatted with her about the intersection of stress and alcohol consumption in rodent models of voluntary alcohol binging.
Dr. Hwa is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Baylor University in Waco.
https://www.baylor.edu/psychologyneur...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
Matt Wanat PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On February 4 , 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Zane Lybrand for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Jenny Hsieh, Chris Navara, and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about new work describing aberrant migration of adult born granule cells following pilocarpine insult, and its contribution to generation of spontaneous seizure.
Zane Lybrand PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at Texas Womens University.
https://apps.twu.edu/my1cv/profile.as...
Jenny Hsieh PhD is Semmes Foundation Chair in Cell Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Brain Health Consortium. https://hsiehlab.org
Chris Navara PhD is Associate Professor of Research in Biology at UTSA and Director of the Stem Cell Core. https://www.utsa.edu/bhc/core/stem-ce...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute & Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On January 28, 2021, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with our own Francesco Savelli for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Isabel Muzzio, and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about spatial reference frames and computation in the hippocampal network.
Dr. Savelli is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and member of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.
https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Isabel Muzzio PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On December 3, 2020, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Brian Wiltgen for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Isabel Muzzio, Anthony Burgos-Robles and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about mapping mechanisms of memory consolidation and retrieval in hippocampus and cortex.
Dr. Wiltgen is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology & a member of the Center for Neuroscience at UC Davis.
https://wiltgenlab.sf.ucdavis.edu
Anthony Burgos-Robles PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Isabel Muzzio PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Matthew Wanat PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA
https://www.wanatlab.org
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On November 19, 2020, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Tad Blair for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Francesco Savelli, Todd Troyer and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about mapping brain states on behavior.
Dr. Blair is Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology & a member of the Brain Research Institute at UCLA
https://www.psych.ucla.edu/faculty/pa...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Francesco Savelli PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Todd Troyer PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute:
On October 29, 2020, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with UCSF Neurosurgeon Philip Starr for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Matt Higgs and Salma Quraishi chatted with Dr. Starr about state-of-the-art closed loop brain stimulation therapies in humans and pathological oscillations in the basal ganglia network.
Philip Starr MD PhD is Professor of Neurosurgery; Dolores Cakebread Chair in Neurological Surgery; Surgical Director, Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education And Care Center (PADRECC), San Francisco Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/...
https://pdcenter.ucsf.edu/philip-star...
http://www.cnep-uc.org/founding-membe...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Matt Higgs PhD is Assistant Professor of Research in Biology at UTSA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute & Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
On October 22, 2020 the UTSA gang sat down with Nicola Grissom (UMN) for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Matt Wanat, Lindsey Macpherson & Salma Quraishi chatted with her about the impact of sex on executive function & how genetic factors interact with sex in autism.
Nicola Grissom PhD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and part of the NeuroPRSMH (NeuroPlasticity Research in Support of Mental Health) Center for Computational Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
http://www.neuroscience.umn.edu/peopl...
https://www.nicolagrissomlab.com/
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Matthew Wanat PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.wanatlab.org/
Lindsey Macpherson PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.macphersonlab.org/
Salma Quraishi PhD is Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute & Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
On October 15, 2020, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Eliza Bliss-Moreau (UC Davis) for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Melanie Carless, Todd Troyer and Salma Quraishi chatted with her about frameworks for affective neuroscience and how she is using multi species approaches to decompose affect into tractable biological features, i.e., valence and arousal.
Eliza Bliss-Moreau PhD is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and a Core Scientist at the California National Primate Research Center at University of California at Davis.
https://www.elizablissmoreau.com
https://psychology.ucdavis.edu/people...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Melanie Carless PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Todd Troyer PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute & Assistant Professor of Research at UTSA https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
On October 8, 2020, University of Texas San Antonio neuroscientists sat down with Michael Hasselmo for an episode of Neuroscientists Talk Shop. Charles J. Wilson, Isabel Muzzio, Francesco Savelli and Salma Quraishi chatted with him about how models have guided the search for neural correlates of episodic memory, from grid cells, to time representations to egocentric boundary cells.
Dr. Hasselmo is Warren Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences & Director of the Center for Systems Neuroscience at Boston University
http://www.bu.edu/psych/profile/micha...
Charles J. Wilson PhD is Ewing Halsell Chair of Biology at UTSA & Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://marlin.life.utsa.edu
Isabel Muzzio PhD is Associate Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Francesco Savelli PhD is Assistant Professor of Biology at UTSA. https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/...
Salma Quraishi PhD is Assistant Professor Research at UTSA & Associate Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute. https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
Neuroscientists Talk Shop podcast: https://tinyurl.com/yxatz6fq
UTSA Neurosciences Institute: https://neuroscience.utsa.edu
The University of Texas San Antonio: https://www.utsa.edu
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Jacques Wadiche (UAB School of Medicine) talks to us about multivesicular neurotransmitter release (MVR) in the CNS. He takes us through recent work from his lab that gets at PKA-dependent molecular regulation of MVR whereby synaptic release depends on the number of docked vesicles available for release upstream of release probability.
Duration: 51 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Matt Higgs (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Tim Petros (NICHD/NIH) talks about new single cell RNA and epigenetic approaches to understanding the intrinsic programs that determine interneuron diversity. The group discusses how to determine causation vs correlation in identifying candidate mechanisms that regulate interneuron fate decisions, and how historic concepts of cell type (based on morphology, connectivity, physiology etc) map onto transcriptomic data clustering.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Annie Lin (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Savio Chan (Northwestern) gives us his thoughts on cell diversity in the external globus pallidus. He weighs in on how to define cell type, when to stop mining for more diversity, and whether cell type may even be a relevant construct in thinking about a network’s function.
In an interesting aside, Charlie bears out how Savio’s work delivers the key functional impact of a GPe-striatal connection that was originally left out of the basal ganglia wiring diagram because it appeared not to fit the direct/indirect pathway dichotomy. The group considers the age-old dilemma of editorializing observations to fit a functional story, landing on the principle, “follow the data!”
Duration: 35 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Steve Small (UT Dallas) discusses how well 19th and 20th century localizationist metaphors for the brain have served our understanding of behavior, especially in the realm of language, and what new strategies are replacing them in the new millennium.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Nicole Wicha (Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Matt van der Meer (Dartmouth) talks about the role of oscillations in routing information flow in the ventral striatum.
Duration: 37 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Francesco Savelli (Assistant Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Stephen Maren (Texas A&M) talks about the common neural circuitry mediating fear conditioning and drug relapse.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Isabel Muzzio (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Ajay Dhaka (UW) talks about distinctions in itch (pruritis) and pain (nociception) somatosensation, and his discovery of overlapping mechanisms for these sensations via direct activation of different populations of TRP channel-expressing somatosensory neurons in zebrafish. He also talks to us about developing zebrafish larvae as a behavioral screening tool for analgesic drug discovery.
Duration: 35 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Lindsey Macpherson (Asst Prof, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Sophie Caron (U of Utah) discusses how sensory representations shift from ordered to random in the sensory system of drosophila.
Duration: 35minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Lindsey Macpherson (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Michelle Diaz (Penn State) discusses how language features might be organized in the neural architecture and talks about her structural and behavioral studies of how language production changes over the lifespan.
Duration: 35minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Nicole Wicha (Professor, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Ottavio Arancio discusses the problematic aspects of therapeutic strategies built upon the amyloid hypothesis of Parkinson’s disease, and his work defining the synaptic effects of soluble beta amyloid and tau oligomers in the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Hyoung-gon Lee (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
George Perry (Semmes Chair, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Mike Smotherman joins us again to talk echolocation in bats, specifically how physiological studies in his lab investigate the circuitry that shapes sonar pulse acoustics. He discusses how bats in groups implement circuit plasticity to coordinate their sonar systems to minimize interference.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Recorded as a panel discussion following the UTSA Neurosciences Institute’s 2019 research symposium on September 12, 2019. Hosted by Charles Wilson
Duration: 44 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Mark Bevan, Professor in Physiology, Northwestern University
Robert Turner Professor, Pitt
Jerrold Vitek, Mcknight Professor, University of Minnesota
Judith Walters, Senior Investigator, NINDS
Charles Wilson, Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Maya Henry (UT Austin) talks to us about her imaging studies of patients suffering from primary progressive aphasias, what they tell us about speech and language networks, and how her rehabilitation studies are demonstrating speech gains for patients with an otherwise poor degenerative prognosis.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Nicole Wicha (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Brian Kaspar (AveXis Inc) talks about the realities and promise of building a single dose gene transfer therapy for treating the prime gene defect in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type I. He discusses his company’s modified adeno-associated virus 9 approach to human gene therapy that is currently in highly promising clinical trials, for SMA, and in development for Rett syndrome and one variant of Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis.
Duration: 45 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Jenny Hsieh (Semmes Foundation Chair, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Craig Blackstone (UT Health San Antonio) tells us about new vantage points on endoplasmic reticulum structure, dynamics and function through advanced imaging technologies in the context of his work on hereditary spastic paraplegias.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Michael Hanna (Asst Professor of Practice, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Sarah Hopp (UT Health San Antonio) discusses tau seeding in the developing pathology of alzheimer’s disease, and the role that microglia may play in supporting it.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Catharine Winstanley (UBC Vancouver) discusses mechanisms of impulsive and poor decision making in gambling and its intersection with mechanisms of disparate drugs of abuse, addiction and relapse. The group considers whether addiction is a single disease, and whether catecholamine systems are the final common pathway for various addiction trajectories.
(apologies for some uneven sound, it’s worth roughing it out!)
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Jon Sakata (McGill) talks about songbird plasticity in the zebrafinch, and how brain circuits transduce social information to modulate the learning and control of birdsong.
Duration: 37 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
This episode is a panel discussion recorded as the conclusion of a two part series showcasing Present & Future Frameworks in Theoretical Neuroscience, an international workshop hosted by Horacio Rotstein (NJIT) & Fidel Santamaria (UTSA) through support of NSF’s Brain Initiative (see episode 194 for Part I). Part II is a round table with a new group that recaps the themes of the workshop and reports on the main themes of the discussions that occurred in each of the five workgroups. Many trainees were involved in the workshop, and two of them join the panel to highlight the value and necessity of fresh voices to any discussion about the future of theoretical neuroscience. Workshop co-organizer Fidel Santamaria leads the panel.
Duration: 34 minutes
Panel:(in alphabetical order, pictured left to right)
Habiba Azab, PhD student, Ben Hayden lab, UMN - Student perspective on Organizing Theories Workgroup
Carmen Canavier, Professor & Vice Chair, LSU Health
Krešimir Josić, Professor, Univ of Houston; Chair, Gulf Coast Consortium for Theoretical & Computational Neuroscience
Farzan Nadim, Professor, NJIT-Rutgers Newark. Organizing Theories Workgroup
Horacio Rotstein, Professor, NJIT, Workshop organizer and Co-chair
Matthew Singh, PhD student, Braver lab & Ching lab, WUStL
Fidel Santamaria, Professor, UTSA, Workshop organizer and Co-chair
Recorded at the Emily Morgan Hotel, San Antonio TX.
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
This episode is a panel discussion recorded as Part I of a two part series on the recent Present & Future Frameworks in Theoretical Neuroscience, an international workshop hosted by Horacio Rotstein (NJIT) & Fidel Santamaria (UTSA) with support from the NSF’s Brain Initiative. Part I is a preamble recorded on day one of the meeting, in which some friends of the podcast (see below) define the need for the workshop and identify their objectives as they undertake their workgroups. Hosted by Salma Quraishi.
Stay tuned for Part II, which was recorded at the close of the workshop. Part II will be posted separately as a follow up to summarize some of the critical discussions that transpired in the workgroups.
Duration: 33 minutes
Panel:(in alphabetical order, pictured left to right)
Veronica Alvarez, Senior Investigator, IRP NIAAA
Alain Destexhe, Research Director, CNRS Paris
Tatiana Engel, Assistant Professor, CSHL
Horacio Rotstein, Professor, NJIT
David Redish, Distinguished McKnight Professor, University of Minnesota
Fidel Santamaria, Professor, UTSA
Recorded at the Emily Morgan Hotel, San Antonio TX.
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Liberty Hamilton (UT Austin) talks about using electrocorticography using electrocorticography to study the representation and processing of speech sounds in the auditory cortex.
Duration: 40 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA
Nicole Wicha (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Jeff Golden (Harvard Medical School) talks about dichotomies in mitochondrial dynamics observed in the migration of cortical neurons and interneurons in early development and neuronal patterning.
Duration: 42 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Jenny Hsieh (Semmes Foundation Chair, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Sarah C. Woolley (McGill) discusses her work on the neural basis of song preference in female songbirds. She describes experiments that manipulate in vivo dopaminergic pathways in the auditory system to change song preference.
Duration: 35 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Maurice Chacron (McGill) talks about optimal coding mechanisms invoked in sensory perception of the electric fish. He discusses his “awake behaving” model, through which he has deciphered that feedback from descending inputs tunes sensory responses through a “temporal whitening” function which may be conserved across species.
Duration: 42 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Research Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Josh Dudman (HHMI Janelia) discusses his model of how the basal ganglia shape performance based on prior experience by controlling the gain of movement kinematics. The group considers this history-dependent gain computation model alongside the traditional action selection model.
Duration: 43 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Juan Morales (PhD student, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Research Asst Prof, UTSA)
Denard Simmons (Postdoc, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Marisela Morales (NIDA) discusses the anatomical and functional complexity of VTA projections, including the distinctive synaptic architecture of dual GABAergic glutamatergic synapses in the habenula, and the indispensability of electron microscopy for understanding the diversity of brain circuits.
Duration: 43 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Research Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Chip Gerfen (NIMH) talks about his defining work in describing the input-output organization of the basal ganglia, and how early ideas of pathway-level organization principles have yielded to an appreciation of the explosive anatomical and molecular diversity of individual neurons within those pathways. The group discusses Chip’s new spearheading of single axon anatomical projection mapping in striatum, and what clues it may offer to our understanding of basal ganglia function.
Duration: 42 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Ulrich Hofmann (Freiburg University) discusses the priorities and realities in implementing control theory, computational models and engineering principles to build implantable devices that can read and write to the nervous system as an approach for treating CNS disorders like paralysis, epilepsy, depression and others.
Duration: 45 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
John Mantsch (Marquette University) discusses various animal models of drug relapse that differentiate aspects of how stress impinges on reward circuits to promote drug seeking.
Duration: 40 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Ed Stern (Bar-Ilan University, Israel) discusses corticostriatal networks in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.
Duration: 42 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Recorded as a panel discussion following the UTSA Neurosciences Institute’s 2018 research symposium. The group discusses the tripartite synapse concept, which was coined by two of our panelists, Phil Haydon and Alfonso Araque, in the late 1990s. The group considers the diverse mechanisms of astrocyte-neuron communication, and the magnitude of how we are beginning to redefine the neural circuits of behavior and disease based on this new framework. Hosted by Salma Quraishi.
Duration: 49 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
The Panelists
Alfonso Araque, Robert & Elaine Larson Neuroscience Research Chair, University of Minnesota Medical School
Philip Haydon, Annetta and Gustav Grisard Professor of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Medicine, Tufts University
Erik Herzog, Professor of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis
Carlos Paladini, Professor of Biology, UTSA
Joining the discussion
James Lechleiter, Professor of Cells Systems & Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio
Salma Quraishi, Assistant Professor of Research, UTSA
Matt Wanat , Assistant Professor, UTSA
Charles Wilson, Ewing Halsell Chair, Director of the UTSA Neurosciences Institute
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Marco Gallio (Northwestern) talks about temperature sensation in Drosophila as a “fruitful” model system for examining sensory encoding and propagation of representations through a relatively reduced sensorimotor system.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Lindsey Macpherson (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Dwight Bergles (Johns Hopkins) discusses his work characterizing a fourth mysterious class of CNS glial cells, called oligodendrocyte precursor cells.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Aurelio Galli (UAB) discusses the biophysics of the dopamine transporter, its relevance to disease, and how he is leveraging drosophila to study behavioral phenotypes of dopamine transporter mutations.
Duration: 35 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Lori Knackstedt (UF Gainesville) discusses glutamate homeostasis mechanisms in the nucleus accumbens in mediating relapse to cocaine-seeking in rodent models of cue-induced extinction and abstinence.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matthew Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Veronica Alvarez (NIAAA) discusses using drugs of abuse to probe D2 mechanisms in striatal circuitry, and effects on behavior.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matthew Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Ann Graybiel (MIT) discusses her work on cortical-basal ganglia loops and habit formation.
Duration: 46 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matthew Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Dean Buonomano (UCLA) talks about strategies that neural networks might use to store information about time in the states of neural networks.
Duration: 38 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Recorded as a panel discussion following the UTSA Neurosciences Institute’s 2017 research symposium on September 14, 2017. Hosted by Salma Quraishi.
Duration: 38 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Andre Fenton, Professor of Neural Science, NYU
James Knierim, Professor of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins
Isabel Muzzio, Associate Professor, UTSA
A. David Redish, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, U of Minnesota
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Suzanne Haber (U Rochester Med Ctr) talks about defining anatomy and structural connections in the context of function in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic system.
Duration: 37 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Mark Shapiro (UT Health, San Antonio) talks about visualizing how the anchoring protein AKAP79/150 orchestrates functional coupling of ion channel assemblies using super-resolution microscopy.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Joanna Phillips (UCSF) fields our questions about the cellular microenvironment: how cell signaling and interactions are mediated by glycocalyx proteoglycans and components of the extracellular matrix. The discussion touches on how these cell surface and microenvironment factors impact migration and cancer proliferation.
Duration: 44 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Annie Lin (Asst Professor, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Jim Surmeier (Northwestern University) talks to us about integrating circuit, ion channel and bioenergetic vantage points to define quantitative, neuron-specific mechanisms of pathology in Parkinson’s disease. He guides the group through a discussion of how his hypothesis-driven approach is informing an exciting new clinical trial for slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Duration: 47 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
James Tepper (Rutgers Newark) joins us 10 years down the line to revisit the topic of our inaugural podcast discussion, which centered on the diversity and origins of striatal interneurons. A number of the original group are joined by some new faculty to consider how the field has expanded and evolved in the last decade.
Duration: 43 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Alan Lerner (Case Western Reserve) offers his perspective as a clinician-scientist in understanding the scope of Brain Health as a “big science” initiative. He describes how a broad alignment of public health, medical, clinical and basic science perspectives are informing new perspectives on the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia.
Duration: 38 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Gemma Casadesus-Smith (Kent State) discusses new strategies in thinking about Alzheimer’s disease and its prevention, and what we understand about the disease process through clinical indicators. The group takes on some hard questions about the approaches being used to guide clinical trials, and why some ideas appear to linger past their prime.
Duration: 52 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Hyoung-gon Lee (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Asif Maroof (Asst Prof, UTSA)
George Perry (Dean, College of Science UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Nick Hollon (Fellow, Xin Jin Lab, Salk Institute) leads us in a fantastic discussion on neuroeconomic approaches to understanding the neural correlates that govern value-based decision making.
Duration: 41 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Professor, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Christiane Linster (Cornell) discusses the theory and experimental realities at play in modeling learning, memory and neuromodulation in the olfactory system of rodents.
Duration: 40 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Bennet Ibey (Air Force Research Laboratory) discusses the biophysics of how membranes react to electric field pulses. The discussion centers around our reference point for this phenomenom, electroporation.
Duration: 48 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Peter Kalivas (Medical University of South Carolina) discusses how he is incorporating the tetrapartite synapse (pre-synapse, post-synapse, glia and extra-cellular matrix) into understanding addiction circuits and behavior.
Duration: 38 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Assist Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Harel Shouval (UT Health, Houston) discusses building models for how time constants of neural circuits adapt to reflect the time constraints of the world. For instance, learning requires associating cues and later rewards, yet the teaching signal (the reward) is temporally distant from the cue itself well outside the timescale of individual neurons.
For reference, the discussion touches on these papers.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28018206
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26377457
Duration: 41 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Henry Yin (Duke) discusses a take on hierarchical movement control based on integrative approaches that marry kinematics and optogenetically controlled behavioral assays.
The discussion references this review and paper:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27306757
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27091436
Duration: 34 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Matt Higgs (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Fidel Santamaria (Assoc Prof, UTSA
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Leslie Whitaker (NIDA Fellow) talks about how silent synapses in neuronal ensembles might underlie associative learning in the ventral tegmental area and prefrontal cortex.
Duration: 39 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Alyssa Petko (PhD student, UTSA
Claire Stelly (Fellow, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
David Weinshenker (Emory U School of Med ) discusses norepinephrine physiology and it’s relevance to the neuropathology of degenerative diseases and addiction.
Duration: 47 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Alyssa Petko (PhD student, UTSA
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Geoffrey Schoenbaum (National Institutes of Drug Abuse) discusses the advantages of using principles of learning theory in physiological investigations of associative learning and decision making. The group reflects on the caveats of constraining behavior and losing the generalizability of coding
Duration: 30 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc Prof, UTSA
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Art Riegel (Medical University of South Carolina) talks with the group about competing ideas of a dopamine neuron archetype and our deepening sense of the heterogeneity of dopamine neurons. He discusses how he is examining the mechanisms and transducers of stress on the dopamine system.
Duration: 30 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res Asst Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Yoland Smith (Yerkes Primate Center, Emory University) discusses how the motor symptoms of Parkinsonism may not connect with our emerging understanding of the the complex interconnectivity of the basal ganglia thalamo-cortical loop. The group discuss anatomical details of the circuit in rodent and primate, and consider other possible network components that might generate the complex pathophysiology of Parkinson’s Disease.
Apologies for the crackle in the recording. We recommend not doing this one with headphones. This one is so worth it, please bear with us!
Duration: 43 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Susan Patterson (Temple University) introduces neuro-immune interactions in the CNS, and discusses her ideas about how immune dysregulation and cognitive vulnerability may collide in the aging brain.
Duration: 37 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Isabel Muzzio (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res. Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Howard Eichenbaum (Boston University) discusses “memory fields” in hippocampus as a way to think about the fundamental associative properties of the hippocampus. He introduces place cells, and discusses the discovery that these cells code for time as well as space, as well as other dimensions.
Duration: 35 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Alfonso Apicella (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Isabel Muzzio (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Todd Troyer (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res. Asst Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Jim Lechleiter (Cellular & Structural Biology, UTHSCSA) gets us up to speed on astrocytes, their role in brain health and homeostasis, and their properties as excitable cells.
Duration: 50 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Michael Beckstead (Assoc. Prof, UTHSCSA)
Carlos Paladini (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res. Asst Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Laura Colgin (Center for Learning and Memory, UT Austin) discusses hippocampal gamma band oscillations, their functional importance to memory encoding and retrieval. This is her second visit; find her our first discussion with her in episode 78.
Duration: 37 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
Brian Derrick (Prof, UTSA)
Isabel Muzzio (Assoc. Prof, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res. Asst Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.
Lee Goldstein (Boston University) discusses chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and how he is using mouse models to trace the salient features of the initiation and early neurogenic processes of the disease.
Duration: 37 minutes
Discussants:(in alphabetical order)
George Perry (Dean, UTSA)
Salma Quraishi (Res. Asst Prof, UTSA)
Matt Wanat (Asst. Prof, UTSA)
Charles Wilson (Ewing Halsell Chair, UTSA)
acknowledgement: JM Tepper for original music.