Homeostatic Plasticity in Health and Disease
Dr. Davis will present a summary regarding the identification and characterization of mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity as they relate to the control of synaptic transmission. He will then provide evidence of translation to the mammalian neuromuscular junction and central synapses, and provide tangible links to the etiology of neurological disease.
On being the right size: Is the search for underlying physical principles a wild-goose chase?
When was the last time you ran into a giant? Chances are never. Almost 100 years ago, JBS Haldane posed an outwardly simple yet complex question – what is the most optimal size (for a biological system)? The living world around us contains a huge diversity of organisms, each with its own characteristic size. Even the size of subcellular organelles is tightly controlled. In absence of physical rulers, how do cells and organisms truly “know” how large is large enough? What are the mechanisms in place to enforce size control? Many of these questions have motivated generations of scientists to look for physical principles underlying size control in biological systems. In the next edition of Emory's Theory and Modeling of Living Systems (TMLS) workshop series, our panel of speakers will take a close look at these questions, across the entire scale - from the molecular, all the way to the ecosystem.
Microglial dynamics in neurodevelopment and pathology
In this talk, Dr. Eyo will his present research on microglia, the brain’s resident immune cell. After providing some background to these cells, Dr. Eyo will highlight two aspects of his research. First, some of his previous work elucidating microglial dynamic activity during development as well as mechanisms regulating their demise during simulated developmental ischemia will be discussed. Second, research will be presented clarifying mechanisms underlying the interactions between microglia and neurons with a special focus on seizure disorders. Together, these findings highlight microglia as a critical cell type in brain function in development and brain pathology