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. 

We are returning to in-person seminars (except as marked), which will be held in MMRB, Room 1009-1011.

February 10, 2023

Chronic nicotine use induces a unique sex-specific neuroimmune response in the accumbens which modulates glutamate plasticity

Speaker: Cassandra Gipson, PhD, Associate Professor Professor

Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky

Host: Amy Wegener (Neigh)

February 17, 2023

Response of APOE mice to CNS damages

Speaker: G. William Rebeck, PhD, Professor

Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University

Host: Kirsty Dixon

February 24, 2023

Cellular and molecular targets for disrupted cortical circuit development in neurodevelopmental disorders

Speaker: Anthony LaMantia, PhD, Professor and Director

Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Reserch Instittute at VTC

Host: Andrew Ottens

March 3, 2023

Evaluating the role of Cathepsin B and intracranial pressure in membrane disruption following diffuse TBI in rats

Speaker: Martina Hernandez, PhD Candidate

Neuroscience PhD Program, Virginia Commonwealth University

Host: Audrey Lafrenaye

March 17, 2023

An inquiry into the structural, functional and synaptic vulnerability of the axon initial segment in models of concussive traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis

Speaker: Alan Harris, PhD Candidate

Neuroscience PhD Program, Virginia Commonwealth University

Host: Kimberle Jacobs

March 24, 2023

A fungal model of ALS reveals links between sphingolipid regulation and ER stress in disease

Speaker: Derek Prossner, PhD, Assistant Professor

Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Host: Gretchen Neigh

March 31, 2023

Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity and Protection in Developing Neural Circuits

Speaker: Karen Litwa, PhD, Assistant Professor

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Eastern Carolina University

Host: Kelly Harrell

April 14, 2023

Medium spiny neurons, what they have to say about Huntington's disease

Speaker: Rocio Gomez-Pastor, PhD, Assistant Professor

Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota

Host: Kelly Platfoot (Ottens)

April 21, 2023

Pharmacological strategies for reducing mortality and morbidity following organophosphate exposure

Speaker: Laxmikant Deshpande, PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Host: Andrew Ottens

April 28, 2023

Astrocyte-Specific Expression of the Extracellular Matrix Gene Htra1 Regulates Susceptibility to Stress and Depression in a Sex-specific Manner

Speaker: Eric Parise, PhD, Instructor

Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Host: Peter Hamilton

May 5, 2023

Oligodendrocytes and Myelin in Models of Neurodegeneration

Speaker: Franca Cambi, MD, PhD, Professor

Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Host: Pamela Knapp