by Dr Loren Koçillari (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – IIT, Trento, and Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf)

When: November 6, 2023, at 4:30 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Building A, Ground Floor, Via Orus 2, Padova)

Functional connectivity (FC) plays a crucial role in understanding how correlated activity between brain regions supports neural information processing and communication. Previous research has primarily focused on redundant FC, typically using Pearson correlations to examine the similarity of activity across pairs of regions. However, recent studies have started exploring synergistic FC, which refers to the information that arises when two regions are considered together. In this presentation, I report our work [doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-43075-6_5] focalizes on the interplay between synergy and redundancy at the individual neuron level within the mouse’s primary auditory cortex during a sound discrimination task.

When: November 10, 2023 – starting at 9:00 am

Where: Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello (Sestiere San Marco, Campiello Pisani 2810, Venice)

Abstract: Partendo dal ritrovamento nella Germania sud-occidentale di “flauti” risalenti a circa 40 000 anni fa, ottenuti in generale dalle ossa lunghe delle ali di rapaci, il simposio verterà sulle ragioni che hanno spinto il genere Homo a creare sistemi musicali prima dei graffiti e delle piccole sculture del neolitico. Questo ha dato origine alla cultura musicale, facendone forse la forma più primigenia del pensiero simbolico: il tema dominante è quindi il legame tra il cervello e la musica. Altri due temi d’intervento, altrettanto cruciali, sono: da un lato, stabilire quale delle due specie del genere Homo – i Sapiens e i Neanderthal – abbiano prodotto gli strumenti; dall’altro, identificare le ragioni alla base dell’origine della musica, che è legata all’evoluzione del pensiero: se si correlavano allo sviluppo di specifiche aree cerebrali implicate nella creazione dei suoni, e/o alla sfera emozionale, e/o al progresso del linguaggio.

by Prof. Paolo Bonato (Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston MA)

When: November 2, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Building A, Ground Floor, Via Orus 2, Padova)

In this talk, we will review the use of robotics in rehabilitation medicine with a focus on retraining motor function in patients with neurological conditions ranging from stroke to cerebral palsy. We will argue that the prediction of patients’ response to robot-assisted motor training should account for the mechanisms underlying the short-term and long-term response of each patient to the forces generated by the robot.

by Dr. Valter Tucci (Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior (GEB) Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology – IIT, Genoa)

When: October 19, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Building A, Ground Floor, Via Orus 2, Padova)

Genomic imprinting, a widely recognized phenomenon in epigenetics, leads to the transcriptional silencing of either maternally or paternally inherited alleles. Our research proposes the hypothesis that imprinting has played a crucial role in shaping the evolutionary dynamics of mammalian sleep.
Within our laboratory, we explore this phenomenon at various levels, utilizing in vitro 2D and 3D models, as well as in vivo EEG and behavioural assessments.

When: September 30, 2023 from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm

Where: Palazzo del Bo, Via VIII Febbraio 2, Padova PD

Abstract: The University of Padua presents the 2023 edition of the Science4All Festival, which aims at communicating science in a simple but engaging way. The public will meet researchers from the University of Padua and participate in scientific experiments through workshops, games and other activities. All activities are free.

The Padova Neuroscience Center and our PhD Program in Neuroscience will be present at Palazzo Bo (booth No 21) and they will present “Alla scoperta del cervello“, a series of activities showing how research methods and new discoveries have improved our knowledge of the brain.

When: September 28, 2023 – starting at 10:30 am

Where: Aula Clinica Psichiatrica, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova

Abstract: The seminar aims to connect pre-clinical and clinical research for a better understanding of the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa. Topics covered will include the investigation of biological and morphological factors using a specific rodent model (activity-based anorexia), as well as an examination of how different pathophysiological factors can affect the development of the disorder and its key symptoms.

The seminar is targeted at physicians, psychologists, healthcare professionals, and students.

by Prof. Larry Abbott (William Bloor Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics (in Biological Sciences), Principal Investigator at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute and Codirector of Columbia’s Kavli Institute for Brain Science)

When: September 28, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Where: Aula Magna “Lepschy” (Building DEI/D, 1st floor – Complesso di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Via Gradenigo 6B, Padova)

Navigation requires orienting oneself relative to landmarks in the environment, evaluating relevant sensory data, remembering goals, and convert all this information into motor commands that direct locomotion.

I will present models, highly constrained by connectomic, physiological and behavioral data, of how these functions are accomplished in the fly brain.

by Prof. Camillo Porcaro (Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova)

When: September 21, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Where: Aula Magna Clinica Neurologica (Via Giustiniani 5, Padova)

In the last two decades, ongoing brain fluctuations at rest (i.e. in the absence of external stimulation and response demands) have consistently been documented to be organised into large-scale networks, each of them characterised by specific structural and functional architectures. These are known as resting-state networks (RSNs) and have been widely reported in numerous neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies. Furthermore, alterations to RSNs have been observed during healthy ageing as well as in many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.

by Prof. Andrea Serino (University Hospital of Lausanne – CHUV)

When: July 6, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Where: Aula Magna Ederle (Via Belzoni 160, Padova)

Peripersonal space (PPS) is the region where body-environment interactions predominantly occur. It is represented by a specialized neural system that integrates external cues and tactile stimuli, acting as a fundamental interface between individuals and their surroundings.

This presentation examines the neural and computational mechanisms of PPS in humans, along with its primary functions and properties. I will present data about the dynamic nature of PPS and its optimization for body-environment interactions. I will explore the reciprocal relationship between PPS and social interactions, emphasizing its involvement in social cognition and susceptibility to social modulation.

by Prof. Michela Fagiolini (Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital and Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers of Neuroscience Neurodevelopment)

When: June 29, 2023, at 3:00 pm

Where: Sala Seminari VIMM (Building A, Ground Floor, Via Orus 2, Padova)

Understanding the mechanisms underlying experience-dependent brain development and refinement in neurodevelopmental disorders can guide the design of effective target therapies. Over the past years, we have discovered a clear visual cortical phenotype in mouse models of Rett Syndrome(RTT), a monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder, and demonstrated its rescue by environmental, genetic, and pharmacological manipulation of the major inhibitory circuits, Parvalbumin-positive cortical circuits. These results reveal a specific role for MECP2 in the experience-dependent refinement of cortical circuits by regulating the excitation of pivotal inhibitory neurons.