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.
Fall 2022
Weekly Seminars: Fridays at 12 p.m.
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
For more information, please contact:

Andrew K. Ottens, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Andrew K. Ottens, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Phone: 804-628-2972
Fax: 804-828-9477
Email: andrew.ottens@vcuhealth.org