Weekly Seminars
The Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology conducts a weekly seminar series during the spring and fall semesters, wherein we enjoy presentations from national and international experts in their respective fields. The seminar series covers wide-ranging topics including central nervous system (CNS) circuit function, CNS injury and repair, glial cell biology and molecular mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders.
All seminars are open to interested faculty, postdocs, staff and students, and we welcome your attendance.
Seminars will be held in MMRB, Room 1009-1011. (Unless otherwise specified)
Spring 2025
Weekly Seminars: Fridays at 12 p.m.
February 7, 2025
In vivo glia reprogramming for neural repair
Speaker: Chun-Li Zhang, PhD, Professor
Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Host: Wenhui Hu, PhD
February 13, 2025
Oligodendrocyte-neuron interactions in health and disease
Speaker: Gregory Duncan, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Neurology
Oregon Health and Science University
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
February 24, 2025
Brain networks driving stress vulnerability
Speaker: Zachary Pennington, PhD, postdoctoral Fellow
Department Neuroscience
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
February 28, 2025
Neural circuit organization and function, and applications of single-cell genomics and epigenomics
Speaker: Xiangmin Xu, PhD, Chancellor's Professor
Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Host: Wenhui Hu, PhD
March 6, 2025
Molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of auditory cortex plasticity after noise-induced hearing loss
Speaker: Manoj Kumar, PhD, Assistant Professor
Department of Otolaryngology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
March 13, 2025
Neuronal hyperactivity facilitates tau spread and dysregulates memory in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model
Speaker: Aaron Barbour, PhD, Instructor
Department of Neurology,
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
March 17, 2025
Stress and Social Behavior: Neural Mechanisms and Implications for Mental Health
Speaker: Guangwei Zhang, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology and Neuroscience,
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
March 20, 2025
ADGRG1/GPR56 regulates protective microglial response in Alzheimer's disease
Speaker: Beika Zhu, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar
Weill Institute for Neurosciences
University of California, San Francisco
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
March 28, 2025
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes/small extracellular vesicles as a novel cell-free nanotherapeutic therapy for traumatic brain injury
Speaker: Ye Xiong, MD, PhD
Henry Ford Neuroscience Institute
Henry Ford Health
Host: Dong Sun, MD, PhD
April 1, 2025
Shedding light on spinal pain pathways following nerve injury
Speaker: Andrew Crowther, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Anatomy
University of California, San Francisco
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
April 4, 2025
Glial-mediated cognitive dysfunction through synaptic elimination following traumatic brain injury
Speaker: Dan Liebl, PhD, Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Host: Kirsty Dixon, PhD
April 10, 2025
How do glia regulate synapse development and maintenance?
Speaker: Taylor Jay, Postdoctoral Fellow
The Vollum Institute
Oregon Health & Science University
Host: Rory McQuiston, PhD
April 18, 2025
Neurobiological Divergence in Cocaine-Seeking Behavior: unraveling the Glutamatergic and Inflammatory Mechanisms of Vulnerability and Resilience
Speaker: Jeffrey Parrilla-Carrero, PhD, Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Host: Priyo Goswamee, PhD

A. Rory McQuiston, Ph.D.
Professor

A. Rory McQuiston, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Phone: 804-828-1573
Email: adam.mcquiston@vcuhealth.org