Neuroscientists Talk Shop

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

August 25, 2022 Andrew Maurer joined us 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

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 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

Monday, June 13, 2022 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

Thursday, April 28, 2022 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

Monday, April 25, 2022 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

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

Thursday, 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

Thursday, 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

Thursday, 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 a 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

Thursday, March 24, 2022 On March 24, 2022  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

Thursday, March 3, 2022 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.  Host:  Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA.

Thursday, February 24, 2022 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

Thursday, February 17, 2022 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

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

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

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, 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.

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