Simons Center for the Social Brain

SCSB Lunch Series – Sasha Krol, Ph.D.
2019-09-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, September 27, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Sasha Krol, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Simons Fellow, Guoping Feng Laboratory, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT.
Talk title: “Uncovering the origins of autism risk gene Ptchd1-associated aggression”
Abstract: Irritability or aggressive conduct affects 25-50% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite being highly disruptive, aggression in the context of ASD is poorly understood due to a lack of good models. Deletions in PTCHD1 contribute to ~1% of ASD cases with intellectual disability and can lead to hyper-aggression. I will present our work seeking to understand the origin of hyper-aggression in a mouse model of Ptchd1 deletion. We are testing whether dysfunction of hypothalamic circuitry, and in particular the VMHvl is responsible for Ptchd1-mediated, ASD-related aggression. We find that specifically inhibitory circuitry and not excitatory contributes to hyper-aggression. In addition we will present preliminary findings on the cellular function of Ptchd1.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Alison Singer
2019-09-18 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Alison Singer
Affiliation: President, Autism Science Foundation
Talk title: “Autism From Generation to Generation”
Abstract: Ms. Singer will discuss how families’ experiences with autism have changed from the 1960’s to the present. While options and opportunities for people with autism are still severely lacking, there have been tremendous advances in awareness, diagnosis, treatment and services since autism was first identified. Alison will describe the different cultural climate her older brother faced when he was diagnosed in 1968 compared to her daughter’s experience being diagnosed in 2000. Over the past five decades individuals with autism have gained important rights and protections, but these improvements can quickly erode without continued family advocacy.
[Video of the talk]

Biography:
Alison Singer is Co-Founder and President of the Autism Science Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative autism research and supporting the needs of people with autism. As the mother of a 22-year-old daughter with autism and legal guardian of her older brother with autism, she is a natural advocate. Singer served on the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) for 12 years, where she chaired the Safety and Housing Workgroups, and served on the subcommittee responsible for writing an annual strategic plan to guide federal spending for autism research. She currently serves on the executive boards of the Yale Child Study Center, the Seaver Autism Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University, and the University of North Carolina Autism Research Center, as well as on the external advisory board of the CDC’s Center for Developmental Disabilities, and the New York State Immunization Advisory Committee. In addition, Singer serves on the board of directors of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and chairs the INSAR Communications Committee. In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics named her an “autism champion.” In 2017 she received the INSAR “Outstanding Research Advocate” award and in 2018 she received the New York Families for Autistic Children Research Advocacy Award.
Prior to founding the Autism Science Foundation in 2009, she served as executive vice president of Autism Speaks and as a vice president at NBC. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 2018 she was elected to serve on the Board of Education of the Scarsdale Union Free Public School district. In her free time, she enjoys crossfit, kickboxing, and judging high school debate tournaments.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Elizabeth Norton, Ph.D.
2019-09-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Elizabeth Norton, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Director of the Language, Education and Reading Neuroscience (LEARN) Lab, Northwestern University
Talk title: “Using naturalistic measures of brain and behavior to understand autism”
Abstract: Whereas diagnosis and therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occurs in live, interactive contexts between individuals, studies investigating the brain and behavioral basis of autism often occur in prescribed, solitary, experimental conditions. In this talk, I describe two lines of research, one neuroscience and one behavioral approach, that aim to examine ASD in more naturalistic conditions. The first line of research uses EEG to assess toddlers with and without ASD and their mothers while they interact naturally. During EEG, parents and children complete activities such as watching a movie or completing a puzzle together. Analyses compare child EEG power and parent-child EEG synchrony (phase locking) in frequency bands related to social interaction and attention. The second line of research examines language in the context of rapid automatized naming (RAN) tasks using eye-tracking. RAN requires automatic integration of a variety of language processes. These studies reveal that individuals with ASD and their family members, as well as women with the FMR1 premutation that carries risk for ASD, show altered patterns of eye movements during language processing despite similarities in verbal performance, to typically-developing individuals. Work using these less constrained methods could reveal new insights in to the features and etiology of ASD.

SCSB Lunch Series – Hector Penagos, Ph.D.
2019-09-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, September 6, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Hector Penagos, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Research Scientist, Wilson Laboratory, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT
Talk title: “Assessing thalamic participation in a joint hippocampus-retrosplenial cortex offline state ”
Abstract: The hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex have been implicated in a range of cognitive functions including navigation, planning and imagination. We recently discovered that the rodent hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex jointly transition into an offline state in response to increases in reward during spatial navigation tasks. At the neuronal ensemble level, this joint state is characterized by the reactivation of hippocampal spiking patterns linked to recent experiences. At the network level, both brain areas express oscillations previously thought to occur exclusively during sleep. This synchronous co-occurrence of sleep rhythms, along with the known role of the thalamus in sleep oscillations, raises the possibility that the thalamus might be involved in the generation of this waking state. In this talk, I will describe results that implicate the thalamic reticular nucleus in this hippocampal-retrosplenial offline state. These results extend the well-known role of the thalamus in coordinating activities across brain regions in sleep to the waking state.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Baljit Khakh Ph.D.
2019-05-29 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Baljit S. Khakh, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles
Host: Mriganka Sur, Ph.D., FRS
Talk title: Astrocyte signaling within striatal microcircuits in vivo
Abstract: Hyperactivity and disturbances of attention are common behavioral disorders whose underlying cellular and neural circuit causes are not understood. We will report the discovery that striatal astrocytes drive such phenotypes through a hitherto unknown synaptic mechanism. We found that striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) triggered astrocyte signaling via GABAB receptors. Selective chemogenetic activation of this pathway in striatal astrocytes in vivo resulted in acute behavioral hyperactivity and disrupted attention. Such responses also resulted in up-regulation of the synaptogenic cue thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) in astrocytes, increased excitatory synapses, enhanced corticostriatal synaptic transmission, and increased MSN action potential firing in vivo. All of these changes were reversed by blocking TSP1 effects. Our data identify a form of bidirectional neuron-astrocyte communication, and demonstrate that acute reactivation of a single, latent astrocyte synaptogenic cue alters striatal circuits controlling behavior, revealing astrocytes and the TSP1 pathway as therapeutic targets in hyperactivity, attention deficit and related psychiatric disorders.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Guo-li Ming, Ph.D.
2019-05-15 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Guo-li Ming, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Perelman Professor of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
Host: Hiruy Meharena, Ph.D.
Talk title: Modeling human brain development and brain disorders using 3D organoids.
Abstract: Human Induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has the potential to generate all cell types of a human body under 2D culture conditions or form organ like structures- organoids, under 3D culture conditions. Brain organoid cultures from human iPSCs have been recently developed to recapitulate the cellular composition and the cytoarchitecture of the developing brain. These hiPSC based model systems offer unique advantages in understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms governing embryonic neural development and in modeling neurodevelopmental disorders, such as brain malformation and neuropsychiatric disorders. We have improved the organoid technology and developed a protocol to produce more mature forebrain-specific organoids. We have also developed tumor organoids from glioblastoma patients. I will discuss our recent work using these systems to understand human brain development and brain diseases.
*** Please note that this talk will not be recorded
Key words: brain organoids, brain development, Glioblastoma organoids, human iPSCs

SCSB Lunch Series: Anila D'Mello, Ph.D.
2019-05-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, May 10, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Anila D’Mello Ph.D.
Affiliation: Simons Fellow, John Gabrieli Laboratory, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT.
Talk title: Characterizing Neural Adaptation in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abstract: Sensory processing difficulties occur in about 90% of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Sensory hypersensitivities may negatively affect sleep, communication, and contribute to impairments in social interaction. Recent evidence suggests that sensory hypersensitivies in ASD may be associated with challenges in rapidly adapting to regularities in the environment. Here, I will discuss our work using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure neural adaptation across social and non-social domains in adults with and without a diagnosis of autism. Our preliminary findings suggest that neural adaptation may be associated with autistic traits and symptom severity.

Special Seminar: Clive R. Bramham, M.D., Ph.D.
2019-04-22 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Monday, April 22, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Speaker: Clive R. Bramham, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor and Head of Neuroscience, Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Norway
Host: Mriganka Sur, Ph.D., FRS
Talk title: Arc as a master regulator of neuronal plasticity: signaling protein or retroviral-like capsid.
Abstract: The immediate early gene, Arc, is a pivotal regulator of synaptic plasticity, memory, and cognitive flexibility. But what is Arc protein, how does it work? Recent work has provided surprising insights into the structural and biochemical properties of the Arc protein. Inside the neuron, Arc is protein interaction hub and dynamic regulator of synaptic plasticity. In radical contrast, Arc protein can also self-assemble into retrovirus-like capsids that are released in extracellular vesicles and capable of intercellular transfer of RNA. Resolving this dichotomy is of major importance for understanding how neuronal activity shapes connectivity in neural networks.
[Video of the talk]

SCSB Colloquium Series – Nouchine Hadjikhani, M.D., Ph.D.
2019-04-17 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Nouchine Hadjikhani, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation: Associate Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School

Host: Pawan Sinha, Ph.D.
Talk title: Look me in the eyes – or not?
Abstract: Abnormal eye contact is frequent in autism spectrum disorder. In this talk, I will present data supporting the hypothesis that an imbalance between the excitatory and the inhibitory systems (E/I) in infancy results in eye contact avoidance and abnormal development of the social brain, and present exciting preliminary studies showing how reestablishing the E/I balance may help the core symptoms of autism.
[Video of the talk]

SCSB Lunch Series: Michael Halassa, M.D., Ph.D.
2019-04-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, April 12, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Michael Halassa, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT.
Talk title: Frontothalamic interactions in cognitive control and flexibility
Abstract: Interactions between the cortex and thalamus are critical for sensation, action and cognition. However, most of our understanding of these interactions is in the context of sensory processing. My lab has focused on cortico-thalamic loops that are non-sensory, allowing us to discover new principles of thalamo-cortical interactions beyond sensory processing. In my talk, I will show how the thalamus plays previously unrecognized roles in implementing cognitive control and flexibility, which involve rapid reconfiguration of task-relevant prefrontal representations. I will give a few examples of this process, showing its generality across multiple species, and if time allows, discuss its relevance to disease processes.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Craig M. Powell, M.D., Ph.D.
2019-04-03 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Craig M. Powell, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor and Chair, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
Hosts: Gloria Choi, Ph.D., Troy Littleton, Ph.D.
Talk title: Genetic Models of Autism: Molecules to Potential Therapeutics
Abstract: 16p11.2 copy number variants (CNV) are linked to neuropsychiatric disorders and are among the most prevalent CNVs in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Of many 16p11.2 genes, KCTD13 has been implicated as a major driver of neurodevelopmental phenotypes in zebrafish. The function of KCTD13 in mammalian brain, however, remains unknown. Here we delete Kctd13 in mice and demonstrate reduced synaptic transmission. Reduced synaptic transmission correlates with increased levels of RhoA, a KCTD13/CUL3 ubiquitin ligase substrate, and is reversed by RhoA inhibition, suggesting increased RhoA as an important mechanism. In contrast to a previous knockdown study, deletion of Kctd13 does not increase brain size or neurogenesis in mice or zebrafish. These findings implicate Kctd13 in regulation of neuronal function relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders and clarify the role of Kctd13 in neurogenesis and brain size. Our data also reveal a potential role for RhoA as a therapeutic target in disorders associated with KCTD13 deletion. Unpublished data will be presented on KCTD13 binding partner and ubiquitinating enzyme CUL3.
*** Please note that this talk will not be recorded

SCSB Lunch Series: Nancy Padilla, Ph.D.
2019-03-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, March 22, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Nancy Padilla, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Simons Postdoctoral Fellow, Kay Tye Laboratory, Picower Institute of Learning and Memory, MIT.
Talk title: Investigating the neural circuits underlying social dominance in mice
Abstract: Most animals live in groups organized by social hierarchies. By acting according to their social rank, animals decrease unnecessary aggression and save energy. Although hierarchies are central to successful group dynamics, the neural basis of dominance behaviors remains unknown. Cross-species evidence suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for social dominance behaviors. Given the role of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) in innate behaviors, and its connectivity with the mPFC, it is well positioned to modulate social behaviors in a rank-dependent manner. Using a reward competition assay, wireless electrophysiology and optogenetics in mice I am investigating the role of mPFC-LH pathway in social dominance. I will present data that suggest that the mPFC-LH drives winning during social competition.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Patricia K. Kuhl, Ph.D.
2019-03-13 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Patricia K. Kuhl, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor and Co-Director, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences and Department of Speech and hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle Washington.
Host: Dara Manoach, Ph.D.
Talk title: Early Language Acquisition and the Social Brain: An Inflection Point for the Brain’s Human Language Network.
Abstract: Human infants show a dramatic transition in early language development from an initial universal pattern of perception to one that is language-specific. During this time, human social interaction during exposure to language is critical to learning. Newly obtained resting state brain measures indicate that the propagation of electrical signals in the language network reverse direction at this exact same time in development. I’ll describe this inflection point in the brain’s developing language network and explore its impact and origins.
[Video of the talk]
Biography:
Dr. Patricia K. Kuhl holds the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning, Co-Director of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, and Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is internationally recognized for her research on early language learning and bilingual brain development, for pioneering brain measures on young children, and for studies that show how young children learn. She presented her work at two White House conferences (Clinton White House in 1997 and Bush White House in 2001). Dr. Kuhl is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Rodin Academy, and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Acoustical Society of America, the American Psychological Society, and the Cognitive Science Society. Dr. Kuhl was awarded the Silver Medal of the Acoustical Society of America in 1997. She received the University of Washington’s Faculty Lectureship Award in 1998. In 2005, she was awarded the Kenneth Craik Research Award from Cambridge University, and in 2007, the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement Award. In Paris in 2008, Dr. Kuhl was awarded the Gold Medal of the Acoustical Society of America for her work on early learning and brain development. In 2011, Dr. Kuhl received the IPSEN Foundation’s Jean-Louis Signoret Neuropsychology Prize, and in 2013 the William James Lifetime Achievement award. In 2014, Dr. Kuhl was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Stockholm University, and in 2015 the George A. Miller Prize in Cognitive Neuroscience. Dr. Kuhl received the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award in 2018. Dr. Kuhl is co-author of The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn (Harper Collins). Dr. Kuhl’s TED talk can be viewed at: http://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_kuhl_the_linguistic_genius_of_babies.html

SCSB Colloquium Series - David Leopold, Ph.D.
2019-02-27 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: David Leopold, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Senior Investigator, NIMH; Laboratory of Neuropsychology, NIMH
Host(s): Jitendra Sharma, Ph.D. and Rogier Landman, Ph.D.
Talk title: What’s in a Face Patch?
Abstract: Our laboratory has been investigating the electrophysiological activity of neural populations within fMRI-identified face patches in the monkey. The use of longitudinal microwire recordings permitted us to track the response profiles of single neurons over extended periods of time. As a consequence, we have been able to characterize the responses of individual cells to a wide range of visual stimuli and paradigms in multiple temporal cortex face patches. In my talk, I will focus on one finding that is shared among three spatially disparate face patches (AF, AM, ML), namely that the average face plays a central role in the basic tuning of neurons. I will demonstrate the temporal dynamics of this phenomenon over time scales ranging from milliseconds to months, speculate on a potential circuit mechanism, show its resistance to plasticity in the adult, and discuss its bearing on norm-based theories of human face recognition. Next, I will then show that the same neural populations, when faced with a different visual paradigm appear to undertake a very different type of feature analysis. I will make the case that theories of visual processing based on a narrow range of stimuli or testing paradigms are apt to be inherently fragile and contextual. Finally, I will briefly describe a method using fMRI in combination with single unit recording, which allows for a characterization of visually driven cell activity in a way that need not make reference to stimulus features.

SCSB Lunch Series: Danielle Tomasello, Ph.D.
2019-02-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, February 22, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Please note the room change — the talk will occur in the McGovern Seminar Room — 46-3189.
Speaker: Danielle Tomasello, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Simons Postdoctoral Fellow, Hazel Sive Laboratory, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.
Talk title: FAM57B Ceramide Synthase, a Hub Gene within 16p11.2 Deletion Syndrome, Maintains Physiological Lipid Membrane Composition
Abstract: The genetic basis for mental health disorders is complex, making diagnostics unreliable and personalized treatments complex. My studies are aimed to address this challenge with a new approach to identify molecular changes in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome. In this prevalent syndrome (occurring in 1 in 2000 individuals) part of chromosome 16 is lost, encompassing a core of 25 genes. Deletion leads to severe brain symptoms including autism, intellectual disability and epilepsy. We hypothesize that the metabolome of neurons is abnormal in individuals with 16p11.2 deletion syndrome, providing a new approach to dissect this complex syndrome. I have concentrated on FAM57B, previously shown to interact with other enzyme-encoded genes within the interval, encoding a ceramide synthase. Consistent with altered metabolism in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome, we see profound changes in lipids in the zebrafish model and in 16p11.2 deletion fibroblasts. fam57b mutants show significant cellular and behavioral phenotypes, including lipid membrane disruption, reduced firing in whole brain recordings and behavioral deficits. We propose FAM57B is a critical protein essential for membrane lipid homeostasis, suggesting haploinsufficiency leads to a cascade of biochemical and cellular changes.

SCSB Colloquium Series - David Ginty, Ph.D.
2019-02-13 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: David Ginty, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Talk title: Altered touch processing in neurodevelopmental disorders: mechanisms and emerging therapeutic approaches
Abstract: David Ginty’s laboratory uses mouse molecular genetics, and physiological, anatomical, and behavioral approaches to define: 1) molecular, morphological, and synaptic bases of mammalian mechanosensory neuron subtype properties and functions; 2) the organizational logic of mechanosensory circuits in the spinal cord and brainstem; 3) mechanisms of somatosensory neuron development; and 4) altered mechanosensory neuron reactivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and chronic pain states. This lecture will focus on our work addressing the causes and consequences of mechanosensory circuit dysfunction that underlies aberrant tactile information processing in mouse models of ASD and emergent opportunities for treating tactile over-reactivity.
*** Please note that this talk will not be recorded

SCSB Lunch Series: Nan Li, Ph.D.
2019-02-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, February 8, 2019
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Nan Li, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Alan Jasanoff Laboratory, MIT
Talk title: Toward functional and molecular neuroimaging analysis of marmoset models
Abstract: Neurodevelopmental disorders affect many aspects of brain function, and surveying phenotypic abnormalities across altered brains can be challenging. Our group has created a suite of novel tools that can probe molecular-level hallmarks of brain function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), potentially enabling qualitatively new and mechanistically informative approaches to the analysis of brain-wide dysfunction in autism and other conditions. Here I will present our recently developed molecular imaging approaches for mapping spatiotemporal dynamics of diverse neural signaling components, including dopamine release and calcium signaling. Initial application of these tools has taken place in rodents, but we expect our molecular imaging methods to be of outstanding utility for whole-brain functional analysis of emerging primate disease models. I discuss progress toward establishing fMRI in awake marmosets at MIT, with the future goal of applying novel functional and molecular imaging techniques to characterize marmoset models of autism spectrum disorders.

SCSB Lunch Series: Guoping Feng, Ph.D.
2018-12-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, December 14, 2018
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Guoping Feng, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Poitras Chair Professor of Neuroscience, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
Talk title: Thalamic reticular nucleus dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders
Abstract: The Thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) provides major inhibitory inputs to the thalamus and plays important roles in sensory gating, attention selection and sleep rhythms. Many of the risk genes for ASD, schizophrenia and ADHD are highly expressed in the TRN, raising the possibility that TRN may be a circuit converging point for some of the overlapping behavioral abnormalities in these disorders. Using TRN-specific genetic deletions in mice, we demonstrate the critical roles of TRN dysfunction in attention deficit, hyperactivity and sleep disruption, commonly observed in neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD. Using multi-scale single cell analysis including single cell RNA-Seq, multiplex RNA FISH, electrophysiological recordings and molecular tracing. We identified two major TRN neuronal subtypes that have distinct electrophysiological properties, differential topographic connectivity related to different thalamic sensory modalities, i.e. first order and high order thalamic nuclei. Through such non-overlapping anatomical pathways mediated by its subpopulations, TRN might differentially tune incoming sensory information through thalamo-cortical circuits. Importantly, we identified genes selectively expressed by each of the TRN subtypes of neurons, paving the way for testing molecular targets that could potentially regulate different TRN functions based on their thalamic connectivity.

SCSB Colloquium Series: Nathalie van Bockstaele
2018-12-05 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Artwork created by Clovis
A show and tell about ♫ (sound bite)
Autism, Interdependence and Reciprocity
Presenters:
Nathalie van Bockstaele | Concept designer and performer
Jason O’Keefe, Elise L’Herault, Michael Jauquet, Noa Alon | Artist performers
Pablo Friedmann | Fellow artist, mentor and partner
Jocelyn Odóna Holm, Jackie Lee | Discussants
* Click here for presenter bios
Host: Mriganka Sur, Ph.D., FRS
Abstract:
We, parent, companions, and friends, present our real life experience with autism and what we have learned from it: how practicing increased dependence makes us aware of interdependence; how positing reciprocity (which in a quasi-nonverbal environment amounts to observing actions and responding to them) opens original dialogues; and how, as a result, interacting with autism promotes constant creativity in order to both decipher and offer feedback.
What you are going to see are demonstrations in the form of gestures we have shaped from our experience. We urge you to imagine—that is to actively build in your mind a representation of what underlies our choice of gestures—what they stand for and reveal and how you would respond. We address these concepts multiple times, with the help of our discussants, before we open the Q&A exchange.
[Video of the talk]

Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Location: MIT Building 46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium), 3rd Floor, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Please click here to register for this event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scsb-colloquium-series-nathalie-van-bockstaele-tickets-52418493124
*** Please note that a legal ID (Driver’s License, Passport, etc.) is required for alcoholic beverages at the reception.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Ilana Witten, Ph.D.
2018-11-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Ilana Witten, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Associate Professor, Neuroscience Institute & Department of Psychology, Princeton University
Host: Ann Graybiel, Ph.D.
Talk title: Prefrontal-striatal interactions in social learning, and beyond
Abstract: In the part of my talk, I will present our recent work examining the role of prefrontal neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens in social learning. I will also show some new data on how these neurons may represent social stimuli differently from other prefrontal neural populations. In the second part of my talk, I will present unpublished data on the role of prefrontal neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens in drug seeking, and examine how their properties change in animals with greater drug motivation.
*This talk will not be video recorded.

SCSB Lunch Series: Rogier Landman, Ph.D.
2018-11-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, November 16, 2018
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Rogier Landman, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Research Affiliate, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT
Talk title: Behavioral characterization of non-human primates for autism research
Abstract: Disruption of the Shank3 gene has been implicated as a monogenic cause of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Although rare in humans, understanding how this mutation leads to symptoms could ultimately reveal how genetic factors in general affect the likelihood of autism. I will talk about behavior of a small group of CRISPR/Cas9 generated Shank3 mutant macaque monkeys using behavior scoring, eye tracking, movement tracking and social interaction. To analyze future genetic models in the common marmoset we have developed assays including eye tracking, automated movement and vocalization tracking, infant neurobehavioral screening, in-cage training and awake fMRI training.
Bio: Rogier Landman got his PhD at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has investigated the neuronal mechanisms of visual attention and the influence of social stimuli on attentional capture. His current work involves automated behavioral monitoring and analysis of macaque and marmoset monkeys in the context of autism and schizophrenia.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Elise Robinson, Ph.D.
2018-11-14 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Elise Robinson, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; Associate Member, Broad Institute
Host: Mriganka Sur, Ph.D., FRS
Talk title: Autism heterogeneity: genetic insights and next steps.
Abstract: ASD researchers have long been aware that two people with a diagnosis of autism can be as different from one another as two people in any classroom or neighborhood. Translating that awareness into the design of research studies, however, has often presented a challenge. Over the last five years, genetic studies have produced a wealth of unambiguous associations to ASD risk, and taught us that genetic heterogeneity in ASD is patterned. Dr. Robinson will provide an introduction to ASD genetics and discuss how knowledge of genetic heterogeneity can inform research targeting ASD biology.

SCSB Special Seminar - Francisco Clascá, MD, PhD.
2018-11-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Friday, November 9, 2018
Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Speaker: Francisco Clascá, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor of Human Anatomy & Neuroscience, Dept. of Anatomy & Graduate Program in Neuroscience; Director, Applied Anatomy Center, Autónoma de Madrid University, School of Medicine
Hosts: Michael Halassa, Ph.D., Mriganka Sur, Ph.D., FRS
Talk title: Wiring for cognition: axonal and synaptic diversity of thalamocortical higher-order pathways.
Abstract: I will review recent evidence that the circuits created by thalamic projection neuron axons are far more complex and synaptically diverse than previously believed. Through branched axons and diverse synaptic structures, individual thalamic neurons may selectively share signals, according to behaviorally-relevant logic, with several cortical and subcortical cell populations.

Bio: I hold an M.D. from The Basque Country University, Bilbao, Spain (1983), and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Autonoma University of Madrid (1990).
In my PhD Thesis I defined the cat’s insular cortex based on thalamic and cortical connectivity. After a postdoctoral training in the lab of Carlos Avendaño, also in Madrid, working on claustro-cortical circuitry (1990-92), I joined Mriganka Sur’s laboratory at the Dept. of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at MIT (1992-95). There, I investigated the developmental plasticity of axonal pathways between thalamus and cortex in carnivores. After returning to Spain, I set up an independent lab at the Autonoma University of Madrid, and examined the timing and molecular signals involved in the development of thalamocortical pathways.
My research project is elucidating, with single-cell resolution, the network architectures created by the projection neuron populations that interconnect the cortex and thalamus. My lab’s work is at present focused on the axonal and synaptic diversity of the thalamocortical neurons in rodent and primate models. We apply population and single-cell neuronal tracing and quantitative analysis methods at the optical and EM level and extracellular and intracellular recording techniques.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Elizabeth Redcay, Ph.D.
2018-10-24 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Speaker: Elizabeth Redcay, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland
Host: Rebecca Saxe, Ph.D.
Talk title: A social-interactive neuroscience approach to understanding autism.
Abstract: Difficulty with reciprocal social interaction is a core diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but the specific neural systems underlying these difficulties remain unclear. Dominant theories suggest a role for social-motivational and social-cognitive brain networks; however, these theories have been tested primarily using non-interactive (“offline”) tasks in which participants are not engaged in social interaction. In this talk, I argue that this “offline” approach presents a barrier to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social interaction in autism. Through a series of studies, I demonstrate that social-interactive context changes the way social stimuli are processed. Specifically, the perception of an online social partner leads to spontaneous recruitment of the brain’s mentalizing network even without explicit demands to reason about the partner’s mental state (or “mentalize”). I then discuss current work using a social-interactive (“online”) approach to examine the role of social-cognitive and social-motivational brain networks in social interaction in typically developing and ASD children.
[Video of the talk is available upon request: asokhina@mit.edu]

SCSB Lunch Series: Jakob Voigts, Ph.D.
2018-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, October 19, 2018
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Jakob Voigts, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Simons Fellow, Mark Harnett Lab, MIT
Talk title: Dendritic mechanisms for navigation in retrosplenial cortex
Abstract: Navigation requires associating different streams of information. For example, recognizing a distant skyscraper while facing north vs. facing south has different interpretations for one’s position. Retrosplenial cortex, thought to be the main hub for carrying out such associations during navigation, is well suited to testing how individual neurons can flexibly combine multiple inputs to implement such computations. I will present results using recently developed technology that allows us to combine, for the first time, 2-D navigation with head rotation and conventional 2-photon imaging of dendrites. My findings show that dendritic activity is less modulated by context than the somatic outputs of neurons, suggesting that head-direction input is processed by active dendritic mechanisms. I will discuss how this approach can be used to study the link between within-neuron and network computations in general associative cortical computations.

SCSB Colloquium Series - John Huguenard, Ph.D.
2018-10-10 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: John Huguenard, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Neurosurgery, and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine

Host: Guoping Feng, Ph.D.
Talk title: Loss of axonal function in maternal immune activation models of autism spectrum disorders.
Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex heterogeneous neurodevelopmental syndrome with genetic and environmental risk factors. Infection during pregnancy is strongly implicated as an environmental factor, with maternal immune activation (MIA) identified in the causative pathway. However, a mechanistic understanding of MIA-induced alterations in brain function and accompanying social behavior remains elusive. Here, using an established MIA mouse model, we find that offspring exhibit a profound and persistent impairment in excitability of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) – a major locus of social cognition and ASD pathology. Specifically, we report novel disorganization of the axon initial segment and blunted transmission along the distal axon. Transcriptomic analysis identified L1cam deficiency as a likely key mediator of these structural and functional impairments. Downregulation of L1cam in mPFC was found to reproduce sociability deficits. These results demonstrate a novel mode of circuit dysfunction in ASD – disrupted axonal signaling – which fundamentally alters the output of mPFC neurons.
[Video of the talk]

SCSB Lunch Series: Yang Zhou, Ph.D.
2018-10-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, October 5, 2018
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Yang Zhou, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Research Scientist, Guoping Feng Lab, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT
Talk title: Searching the Neural Basis of ASD from Genetically Engineered Model Systems
Abstract: Progress in understanding the neural basis of ASD is inspiring yet unsubstantial over the past decade, in part due to the lack of reliable model systems. Recapitulating core cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions which are closer and relevant to affected human individuals represents one of the significant challenges. Deletion or point mutation of synaptic genes, such as SHANK3 are frequently identified from idiopathic human ASD, allowing for the creation of engineered model systems with which to uncover the molecular, cellular pathophysiology and decipher the neural signature underlying ASD. I will report our efforts in developing advanced ASD models using cutting-edge genetic technologies and discuss behavioral as well as neural circuit alterations identified from models with the Shank3 mutation. We anticipate that our research will provide a critical step forward in the discovery of translatable biomarkers, as well as developing and testing of therapeutic strategies for ASD.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Alika Maunakea, Ph.D.
2018-09-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Alika Maunakea, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Associate Professor, Epigenomics Research Program, Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai’i, Mānoa
Host: Ravikiran Raju, M.D., Ph.D.
Talk title: Integrative epigenomic analyses support the early developmental origin of autism spectrum disorders.
Abstract: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are clinically heterogeneous neurobehavioral diseases suspected to originate in utero when brain cells undergo widespread epigenetic changes to the underlying chromatin landscape, including DNA methylation. Although the normal trajectory of DNA methylation is thought to be critical to transcriptional regulation in neurodevelopment, whether it is compromised in ASD is unknown. Using two complementary genome-wide approaches, we observed significant alterations to DNA methylation in a neural stem cell compartment of postmortem brain from individuals diagnosed with ASD. We found that many of these ASD-specific alterations reside within developmentally regulated chromatin domains, the methylation states of which remarkably resembled that of early fetal brain. Transcriptomic analyses independently demonstrated fetal stage-specific gene expression states in these affected individuals. Together, these findings suggest ASD may arise as a consequence of an “epigenetic delay” in shaping the chromatin landscape during neurodevelopment, providing molecular support of pathological observations implicating its early fetal origins.
[Video of the talk]
Biography:
Dr. Maunakea received his B.Sc. degree in Biology at Creighton University (2001) and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (2008). He completed Postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health (2012) and has since joined the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa. In studying epigenetics for over 15 years, Dr. Maunakea has made several important contributions that have helped advance the field. In particular, he has developed and applied novel high-throughput, genome-wide technologies that survey DNA methylation and histone modifications (Ching et al., 2005; Corley, Zhang, Zheng, Lum-Jones, & Maunakea, 2015; Kraushaar et al., 2013), both central components of epigenetic processes, and has discovered novel roles for DNA methylation in regulating alternative promoter usage (Maunakea, Nagarajan, et al., 2010) and in pre-mRNA splicing (Maunakea, Chepelev, Cui, & Zhao, 2013). In his current position as Associate Professor in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health, Dr. Maunakea is applying epigenomic information toward understanding the mechanistic relationships of gene-environment interactions that underlie the development of diseases of health disparities, including autism and cardiometabolic diseases, anticipating that such studies will contribute to the development of more effective targeted diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic strategies.

SCSB Lunch Series: Laurel Gabard-Durnam, Ph.D.
2018-09-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Simons Center Conference Room, Bldg. 46, Room 6011, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Date: Friday, September 14, 2018
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference Room, Building 46, Room 6011, 6th Floor, MIT (43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, 02139 MA)
Speaker: Laurel Gabard-Durnam, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Autism Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Talk title: “Neuroimaging evidence for Autism biomarkers across the first year of life”
Abstract: An outstanding issue in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research is the identification of biomarkers to expedite detection and provide insight into pathophysiology. The search for early neuroimaging biomarkers is both promising and challenging as they occur before behavioral symptoms emerge but during extensive changes in brain function. I will present evidence from 2 longitudinal EEG studies in infants at low- and high-familial risk for ASD that leverage neurodevelopmental changes to identify early biomarkers. These studies show that EEG within the first year of life differentiates infants with future ASD diagnoses, and they provide a mechanism through which disrupted neuroplasticity contributes to ASD. Together, these findings speak to the potential of early EEG-based biomarkers for identifying and understanding neurodevelopmental trajectories in ASD.

SCSB Colloquium Series - Jaideep Bains, Ph.D.
2018-09-12 16:00 - 17:00 | Singleton Auditorium, Bldg. 46, Room 3002, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Jaideep Bains, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Professor, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary
Host: Kay Tye, Ph.D.
Talk title: Social Transmission of Stress.
Abstract: Stress can trigger enduring changes in neural circuits and synapses. Recent findings from our lab show that mice rely on social interactions with others to transmit and extract odor features that transmit and buffer the effects of stress (Sterley et al, Nat Nsci, 2018). The synaptic consequences of transmitted stress on are not distinguishable from authentic stress. Intriguingly, social interactions with unstressed individuals buffer the effects of stress, but only in female subjects. Finally, we show that stress-induced synaptic changes can be transmitted sequentially from the stressed subject to multiple partners. Our findings demonstrate that transmitted stress has the same lasting effects on glutamate synapses as authentic stress and reveal an unexpected role for PVN CRH neurons in transmitting distress signals among individuals.
[Video of the talk]
