Relatori: Massimo Cacciari, Professore Emerito di Filosofia all’Università San Raffaele di Milano; Maurizio Corbetta, Professore Ordinario di Neurologia al Dipartimento di Neuroscience dell’Università di Padova e Direttore della Clinica Neurologica; Mauro Conti, Professore di Informatica al Dipartimento di Matematica dell’Università di Padova e Coordinatore locale del Laboratorio Nazionale di cybersecurity

Quando: 16 gennaio 2024 dalle ore 17:30

Dove: Aula Magna della Clinica Neurologica

Informazioni utili: Un dialogo tra filosofia, neuroscienze e matematica con Massimo Cacciari, Maurizio Corbetta e Mauro Conti. Qual è l’impatto dell’AI, non soltanto nella sanità? Come si governa l’intreccio fra umanità e macchine? Dov’è il confine fra etica, sicurezza e “liberazione dal lavoro”?

by Dr Enrico Collantoni (Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova)

When: December 14, 2023, at 3:00 pm

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

Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric disorder that involves a complex interplay between neurodevelopment and neuroprogression. In recent years, many efforts have been made to disentangle these mechanisms within a neurobiological realm. Here, I will aim to provide an overview of these aspects, focusing on the advancements in structural neuroimaging and connectomic studies. Furthermore, I will endeavor to elucidate some specific experimental approaches to elucidate two nuclear symptomatic dimensions of this disorder – caloric restriction and body image distortion – employing cognitive and behavioral assessment methodologies, including app-based tools and virtual reality technology.

by Dr Davide Momi (Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Toronto, Canada)

When: December 13, 2023, at 2:45 pm

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

The human brain comprises distinct resting-state networks (RSNs) characterized by spontaneous activity patterns. Despite this highly structured functional pattern, its laws of motion and principles of organization have proven challenging to understand with currently available measurement techniques. In such epistemic circumstances, an extremely elegant modus operandi to investigate brain complexity with high spatial and temporal resolution entails the administration of precise and synchronized external stimulation, followed by a meticulous examination of the resulting induced propagation dynamics that emerge in response to these perturbations.

The PNC & PhD Retreat 2023 take place from 30 November to 2 December 2023 at Villa Parco Bolasco (Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso). It will be a fundamental moment for PNC members, PhD students, and Postdoctoral Fellows for focusing on the goals achieved and the path still ahead. They will have the possibility to share their ideas, perspectives, and experience.

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.