Neuroscience Day 2021 - Programme

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Thursday 23 September 2021

08.30    Arrival and Registration

Session 1

Chaired by: Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director, Edinburgh Neuroscience

09.15    Welcome, Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director, Edinburgh Neuroscience and Director, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences

09.20    Neural representation of colour: from low-level contrast to high-level concepts, Dr Jasna Martinovic, Psychology 

09.45    Fellows and Postdocs Session I

• Molecular mechanisms that shape the neural networks, Dr Dhanya Cheerambathur, Sir Henry Dale Fellow, Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences
• Neural Circuits of Kinship Behaviour, Dr Ann Clemens, Simons ESAT Fellow, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences
• Genetic contributions to the onset, severity and course of adolescent depression, Dr Alex Kwong, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
• Costs and benefits of antimicrobial peptide expression in the CNS, Dr Emily Gwyer Findlay, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, Centre for Inflammation Research

10.50    Refreshments (40 min)

Session 2

Chaired by: Professor Tara Spires-Jones, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh

11.30    Student data blitz session (5 min talks)

• Reverse translational research in glioblastoma, Michael Poon, Cancer Research UK Clinical PhD Fellow, Centre for Medical Informatics
• Generation and validation of a mouse model of EEF1A2-related neurodevelopmental disorder, Grant Marshall, Centre for Genomics & Experimental Medicine
• Similar neural networks respond to coherence during comprehension and production of discourse, Matias Morales, Psychology
• Astrocytes – Friends or Foes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? Investigating the molecular mechanisms  of mC9orf72 human iPSC-derived astrocyte mediated motor neuron deficits, Maria Stavrou, MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow, Rowling Scholar, Centre for Clincial Brain Sciences
• Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and sex interactions on Alzheimer’s cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, Tyler Saunders, Centre for Discovery Brain sciences

12.00   MND-SMART, a new approach to clinical trials in neurological disorders, Dr Suvankar Pal, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences

12.25   20 years of pre-clinical studies targeting multicentre clinical neonatal neuroprotection trials, Prof Nikki Robertson, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences.   

12.50    Shout-out - statistics and experimental design resources, Dr Crispin Jordan (Deanery of Biomedical Sciences) and Dr Gillian Currie (CAMARADES)

13.00   Lunch & Posters (60 min)

Session 3

Chaired by:  Dr Blanca Díaz Castro, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh

14.00    Fellows and Postdoc Session II

• Alzheimer’s disease and small vessel disease: a matter of blood-brain barrier dysfunction? Dr Axel Montagne, Chancellor's Fellow and UK Dementia Reseach Institute Group Leader
• Microgial crosstalk with neurons and astrocytes, Dr Jing Qiu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences
• Remyelination after spinal cord injury, Dr Peggy Assinck, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Centre for Regenerative Medicine
• Developing a theory of mind: Insights from fMRI studies of children, Dr Hilary Richardson, new lecturer, Psychology

15.00   Developing new treatments for bipolar disorder by understanding mechanisms of circadian disruption, Professor Danny Smith, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences

15.25    Tea and Posters (35 min)

Session 4 

Chaired by:  Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director, Edinburgh Neuroscience

16.00 Annual Distinguished Lecture 2021

When the Spark Goes Out: The Neuroscience of Motivation and Apathy, Professor Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience, Nuffield Dept Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, and new Editor ofthe journal Brain.

17.00    Drinks reception in conference centre foyer

18.00    Close of Meeting