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How Early-life Experiences Shape Our Brain: Signals, Synapses Circuits, Behaviors

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Tallie Z. Baram, M.D., Ph.D.

Bren and Danette Shepard Professor, Neurological Sciences, Pediatrics, Anatomy & Neurobiology, and Neurology
Director, Conte Center @ UCI
University of California-Irvine

Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar: How Early-life Experiences Shape Our Brain: Signals, Synapses, Circuits, and Behaviors

April 29, 2022

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

About this Seminar

While there is a strong association between early-life experiences and adult cognitive and mental health, how adversity early in life impacts adult emotions and behaviors is unknown. Complex behaviors are executed by brain circuits whose maturation may be shaped by salient environmental signals, with consequent functional alterations. Dr. Baram will discuss the sex-dependent impact of early adversity on a novel stress-sensitive projection within the reward circuit, which provokes reward-related deficits, and address the mechanistic role of neuron-glia interactions in the impact of early-life adversity on circuit maturation.  

Additional Details

This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Center for Human Neuroscience Research. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. The lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.

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