Mind matters: Faculty and students present at Neuroscience 2008
Dozens of Brown faculty and students researchers discussed their work this week at Neuroscience 2008, a major conference held in Washington, D.C.
The Nov. 15 through Nov. 19 event, which serves as the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, draws researchers from around the world to share their latest findings.
Among presentations by the Brown contingent:
Julie Kauer, professor of medical science, delivered a special lecture titled “Synaptic Plasticity: The Control of Inhibitory Circuits.” Kauer looked at how changes in the strengths of connections between brain cells connects to drug addiction. She concluded that morphine, for example, can weaken these connections in a part of the brain that directly affects addiction. Kauer also determined that the use of addictive drugs, as it affects these connections, can contribute to craving, withdrawal, and relapse.
Carlos Aizenman, assistant professor of neuroscience, presented findings on how the brain may be able to work robustly even if there are development problems when brain cells first begin to operate. His lab studied the development of African clawed frog tadpoles as a model, looking at the part of the amphibian’s brain that processes visual information. Aizenman and his lab found that developing brain cells within this region can adjust how they respond to visual information. The hope is that Aizenman’s work can help open new, early treatments of neurodevelopmental and visual disorders.
Arto Nurmikko, professor of engineering, and colleagues talked about a new kind of sensor that records brain data and also delivers signals to the brain using optical fiber technology.
Brown researchers from a variety of fields took part in the conference, including molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, engineering, neuroscience, physics, psychology, linguistics and cognitive science, and psychiatry.