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.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will conduct our fall 2021 seminars virtually. We look forward to engaging with even more participants now that you can Zoom in from the comfort of your own home or office.
You must have a registered Zoom account in order to access these seminars. For the Zoom meeting link for these virtual seminars, please contact Dr. Andrew Ottens (andrew.ottens@vcuhealth.org).
Spring 2022
Weekly Seminars: Fridays at 12 p.m.
February 4, 2022
Microglial Hv1 Proton Channel as a mediator of Environmentally-Induced Neuroinflammation and Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration
Speaker: Jason Richardson, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University
Host: Andrew Ottens
February 11, 2022
A Molecular Logic for Cortical Projection Neuron Subtype Specification
Speaker: Bin Chen, PhD, Professor
Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz
Host: Dong Sun
February 18, 2022
Modulation of Oligodendrocyte Development and Myelination by Voltage-gated Ca++ Channels
Speaker: Pablo Paez, PhD, Associate Professor Pharmacology and Toxicology
School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
Host: Jeffrey Dupree
February 25, 2022
Mechanisms of Spinophilin-dependent Regulation of Glutamate Receptor Function: Implications in Repetitive and Perseverative Behaviors
Speaker: Anthony J. Baucum II, PhD, Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine
Host: Peter Hamilton
March 4, 2022
Continuous Non-invasive Monitoring of Rodent Physiology and Behavior for the Prediction and Feedback-based Mitigation of Disease
Speaker: Donald J. Noble, PhD, Instructor
Department of Cell Biology, Emory University
Host: Gladys Shaw
March 18, 2022
Aquaporin-4 and Extracellular Fluid Transport in the Brain
Speaker: Alex J. Smith, PhD, Assistant Professor
Department of Opthalmology, University of California San Francisco
Host: Kelly Platfoot
March 25, 2022
Animal Models to Understand Psychiatric Function after TBI: A Behavioral Neuroscience Approach
Speaker: Cole Vonder Haar, MD, Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University
Host: Audrey Lafrenaye
April 1, 2022
Does Migraine Increase Brain Vulnerability?
Speaker: Katharina Eikermann-Haerter, MD, Assistant Professor
Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School
Host: Martina Hernandez
April 8, 2022
The Absence of Notch1 Signaling During Injury Results in Altered Responses of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Recovery
Speaker: Nicole Weston, PhD Candidate
VCU Neuroscience PhD Program, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Host: Dong Sun
Apr 22, 2022
Immunometabolic Signatures Associated with Anhedonia and Psychomotor Slowing in Patients with Depression
Speaker: Mandy Bekhbat, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University
Host: Susie Turkson
Apr 29, 2022
Selective Inhibition of Soluble TNF using XPro1595 Reverses Hippocampal Neuroinflammation and Neurological Deficits in a Rat Model of Gulf War Illness
Speaker: Janakiraman Udaiyappan, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University
Host: Kirsty Dixon
May 6, 2022
Microscopic Mechanisms of Memory Formation in the Hippocampus
Speaker: Daniel Dombeck, PhD, Associate Professor
Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University
Host: Rory McQuiston
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