Upcoming Events

  • Mar
    28
    11:00am - 3:00pm

    Mind Brain Research Day

    Sayles Hall & MacMillan Hall Rm 117

    Get ready for a half-day of neural networking: The 26th Annual Mind Brain Research Day features a research poster session, bag lunch, and keynote address, “Deep Brain Stimulation for Intractable OCD,” by Wayne Goodman, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine.

    Be sure to register by March 14!

    Schedule of events:

    Poster Session
    11 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
    Sayles Hall

    Lunch
    11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
    Sayles Hall
    *You must RSVP by March 14 to reserve a lunch.*

    Keynote Address & Poster Awards
    1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
    MacMillan Hall Room 117

    Keynote Address: “Deep Brain Stimulation for Intractable OCD”
    Wayne Goodman, M.D.
    D.C and Irene Ellwood Professor and Chair
    Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
    Baylor College of Medicine

    Register by March 14More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Psychology & Cognitive Sciences, Research
  • Mar
    28
    4:00pm

    NSGP Seminar Series Presents Dr. Christina Kim; University of CA, Davis

    Sidney E. Frank Hall, Rm Rm. 220/Marcuvitz Aud.

    Title:  Molecular circuits for probing activated neuronal ensembles

    Host:  Dr. Ahmed Abdelfattah

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Research
  • Apr
    1
    12:00pm

    NSGP Thesis Defense: Kelvin Ariel DeLeon

    LMM, 70 Ship Street, Rm Room 107

    Title:  Phenotypic Distinction Between Missense and Loss of Function Mutations in SLC13A5 Epilepsy

    Advisor:  Dr. Judy Liu

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Research
  • Apr
    1
    12:00pm - 1:30pm

    Developmental Brown Bag Seminar Series: Junyi Chu

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Dr. Junyi Chu, MIT
    Title: The puzzle and promise of play


    Abstract: Few phenomena in childhood are as compelling or mystifying as play. While many animals play, human play is distinguished by the sheer diversity of goals that we pursue, even as adults. Yet the seeming inutility of play belies one of the hallmarks of intelligence: a remarkably flexible ability to reason and plan in novel situations. What kind of mind generates and pursues so many goals, and has so much fun in the process? I suggest that answering this question takes us beyond current accounts of rational action and exploration. In this talk, I will present three lines of work on reasoning and decision-making in (mostly) playful contexts. I will begin with a case study of goal-directed reasoning: how children assess speculative conjectures in the absence of any evidence. Then, I will discuss the proposal that play in humans reflects a novel kind of exploration, in which players are trying to figure out what problems they can pose and solve. I will present a number of empirical studies – spanning exploratory play to rule-based games and imaginative pretense – illustrating how children and adults choose goals and actions when trying to have fun, compared with under other objectives. This research suggests that inventing and pursuing novel goals is an intrinsically rewarding activity, and I will speculate on why that might be valuable for human cognition. I will end by briefly discussing ongoing research on goal generation and creativity, in both humans and machines. By paying attention to the goals we adopt and the problems we make for ourselves, I aim to explain the richness and flexibility of the human mind.

    More Information 
  • Apr
    2
    2:30pm

    GPP Thesis Defense: Benjamin Thomas Jung

    Smith-Buonanno Hall, Rm Room 106

    Title:  The role of rare copy number variants in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

    Advisor:  Dr. Philip Shaw, NIH

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Research
  • Cortical Computations Underlying the Integration of Perceptual Priors and Sensory Processing

    Tahereh Toosi, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University

    The ability of the visual system to store and use learned information, or perceptual priors, is essential for interpreting complex visual scenes, such as identifying obscured objects or imagining scenes not currently visible. This process relies on the interaction between processing incoming sensory data and existing knowledge stored in the synaptic strengths throughout the brain. Although the importance of top-down and bottom-up integration is recognized, the precise ways in which they enable the brain to piece together information from different sources remain largely unknown.

    My research aims to reveal the mechanisms underlying these processes by demonstrating how the brain’s need to function reliably in noisy environments influences the development of these pathways, enabling visual processing abilities like resolving visual occlusion and visual imagination. The phenomenon of illusory contours and shapes, exemplified by the Kanizsa optical illusion and Rubin’s face-vase illusion, serves as an ideal case study for how the brain combines sensory input with past experiences to create a coherent perception. Previous studies have shown that such illusory contours invoke activation in specific layers (L2/3) of the early visual cortex but not in others (L4). I will demonstrate the recapitulation of these findings within a deep convolutional model optimized for object recognition, powered by a theory-grounded, biologically plausible algorithm that processes activations through forward and feedback pathways iteratively. This represents the first instance of a large-scale, image-computable model that, while primarily optimized for recognizing objects, also explains how illusions are perceived in the visual cortex as a result of integrating sensory data with learned information.

    Zooming out, the insights from this computational modeling suggest a resolution to the debate over whether the brain functions primarily as a generative or a pattern recognition neural network, and explaining a number of experimental findings regarding specificity of computations in cortical layers.

    More Information BrainExPo, CCBS, Psychology & Cognitive Sciences, Research
  • Apr
    4
    12:00pm - 1:00pm

    Perception & Action Seminar Series: Jeffrey Taube

    Carney Innovation Zone (164 Angell Street 4th floor), Rm 305

    Speaker: Jeffrey Taube (Dartmouth)
    Title: TBA
    Abstract: TBA

    More Information 
  • Apr
    4
    2:00pm - 3:30pm

    Fueling Your Passion: Preventing Burnout in Academic Research

    Carney Institute for Brain Science (164 Angell Street, 4th Floor, Providence, RI 02906), Rm Innovation Zone

    “Fueling Your Passion: Preventing Burnout in Academic Research” is a workshop intended to help early-career academic researchers learn how to identify and prevent burnout. Kelly Holder, PhD, Chief Wellness Officer, Warren Alpert Medical School, will lead the workshop. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of University Postdoctoral Affairs (OUPA) and the Carney Institute for Brain Science as part of The Carney Institute’s Advancing Research Careers Program (R25NS124530).

    This event will take place in person on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at the Innovation Zone inside the Carney Institute for Brain Science (164 Angell Street, 4th Floor, Providence, RI 02906).

    Light refreshments will be provided, and the event will last about 90 minutes.

    The Carney Institute’s Advancing Research Careers (ARC) program aims to advance the research careers of women and persons historically excluded due to ethnicity and race (PEERs) in brain sciences at the level of advanced postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty. ARC is funded by an R25 award from NINDS to support an annual cohort of highly qualified participants through structured mentorship, research support, and activities that contribute to successful neuroscience research careers

    Target Audience: This event is designed for early career scholars, including Carney ARC scholars, senior postdoctoral scholars at Brown, and junior faculty members at Brown who have recently transitioned from postdoctoral appointments.

    Registration is required.

    Questions? Please email [email protected]

    Register to AttendMore Information 
  • Apr
    4
    4:00pm

    NSGP Seminar Series Presents Dr. Lauren Sergio; York University

    Sidney E. Frank Hall, Rm Rm. 220/Marcuvitz Aud.

    Title:  The Wounded Brain: Assessing Function Pre-dementia and Post-concussion

    Host:  Dr. Joo-Hyun Song

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Research
  • Apr
    5
    11:00am

    NSGP Thesis Defense: Doruk Savas

    Sidney E. Frank Hall, Rm Rm. 220/Marcuvitz Aud.

    Title: Differential control of Drosophila feeding behavior via co-transmission of acetylcholine and leucokinin

    Advisor:  Dr. Gilad Barnea

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Research
  • Apr
    5
    2:00pm - 3:30pm

    Social & Cognitive Science Brown Bag Seminar Series: Jae-Young Son

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Jae-Young Son, Brown University

    Title:

    Abstract:

    More Information 
  • Apr
    8
    10:00am

    NSGP Thesis Defense: Sinda Fekir

    Biomedical Center (BMC), Rm Rm. 202

    Title:  Ventral Tegmental Area Regulation of Dynamic Blood Brain Barrier Permeability

    Advisor:  Dr. Christopher Moore

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Research
  • Apr
    9
    12:00pm - 1:00pm

    MCBGP Seminar Series: Aron Lukacher, MD, PhD

    70 Ship Street, Rm 107

    MCB Graduate Program Seminar

    Aron Lukacher, MD, PhD

    Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology

    Penn State College of Medicine



    Polyomavirus Wakes Up and Chooses Neurovirulence

     

    Hosted by: Walter Atwood

    Tuesday, April 9, 2024

    12:00 pm

    70 Ship Street, Room 107

     

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Graduate School, Postgraduate Education
  • Apr
    10
    11:00am - 12:00pm

    Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Grand Rounds

    Virtual

    Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Grand Rounds
    Teen stress, trauma, and transition: Considering biology and social context
    Nicole R. Nugent, PhD
    Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
    Brown University
    Wednesday, April 10 2024◊ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
    • PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: https://cme-learning.brown.edu/2023-2024-Child-Adolescent
    Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants should be better able to identify and become familiar with the following concepts:
    • Describe how stressful and traumatic life experiences may impact teen mental health
    • Characterize the role of social environmental, including digital interactions (i.e., text messaging, social media communication, etc.), for adolescents during times of transition and stress
    • Consider the ways that experiences may impact adolescent biology

    Financial Relationship Disclosure: Dr. Nugent has no financial relationships to disclose.

    More Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health
  • Apr
    11

    Speaker: Johannes Burge (University of Pennsylvania)

    Title: TBA

    Abstract: TBA

    More Information 
  • Apr
    15
    12:00pm - 1:30pm

    Developmental Brown Bag Seminar Series: Matthew Gingo

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Matthew Gingo, Wheaton College
    Title:
    Abstract:

    More Information 
  • Apr
    16
    12:00pm - 1:00pm

    DSCoV Workshop: JavaScript for JsPsych

    164 Angell Street, Rm 4th floor

    DSCoV (Data Science, Computation, and Visualization) workshops are lunchtime introductions to basic data science and programming skills and tools, offered by and for Brown staff, faculty, and students (with occasional presenters from outside Brown). The workshops are interactive, so bring a laptop. All are welcome, and pizza is usually served.

    JavaScript for JsPsych

    Presenter: Robert Gemma, Research Software Engineer (Graphics), OIT

    Learn JavaScript fundamentals with an emphasis on working with JsPsych. Familiarity with jsPsych and Honeycomb is useful but not necessary. 

    The workshops can also be attended on Zoom.

    Zoom linkMore Information Mathematics, Technology, Engineering, Research, Training, Professional Development
  • Apr
    18
    12:00pm - 1:00pm

    Perception & Action Seminar Series: Stefan Uddenberg

    Carney Innovation Zone (164 Angell Street 4th floor), Rm 305

    Speaker: Stefan Uddenberg (University of Chicago)

    Title: TBA

    Abstract:TBA

    More Information 
  • Apr
    19
    2:00pm - 3:30pm

    Social & Cognitive Science Brown Bag Seminar Series: Vivienne Chi

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Vivienne Chi, Brown University

    Title:

    Abstract:

    More Information 
  • Apr
    22
    4:30pm - 5:30pm

    Turning Your PhD into a Job Series: Acing an Interview

    167 Angell Street, Rm 1st Floor Conference Room

    During this workshop, we will focus on how to prepare for your next interview.

    This includes:

    • General rules of an interview and how to prepare for it
    • Common interview questions and the frameworks to structure your thoughts and answers
    • Tips on how to answer the tough questions (with examples) 
    • Resources for preparation and practice

    This program is open to all Brown PhD students and Postdocs.

    More Information Careers, Recruiting, Internships
  • Apr
    25

    Speaker: Mary Hegarty (UCSB)

    Title: TBA

    Abstract: TBA

    More Information 
  • Apr
    26
    2:00pm - 3:30pm

    Social & Cognitive Science Brown Bag Seminar Series: Linda Zou

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Linda Zou, University of Maryland

    Title:

    Abstract:

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  • Brown University’s Fluid Biomarkers Laboratory & Meso Scale Discovery invite you to join us for a lunch and learn to explore:

    MSD Solutions for:

    • Personalized Multiplexing
    • Ultrasensitive Detection
    • Assay Development

    Focus: Biomarker detection in blood, CSF, exosomes, + extracellular vesicles (EVs)

    More Information ALZ, Biology, Medicine, Public Health, CTN, Graduate School, Postgraduate Education, Physical & Earth Sciences, Psychology & Cognitive Sciences, Research
  • Apr
    29
    12:00pm - 1:30pm

    Developmental Brown Bag Seminar Series: Justin Parent

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Justin Parent, Brown/URI

    Title:

    Abstract:

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  • Apr
    30
    4:00pm

    John Mislow Memorial Lecture

    85 Waterman Street, Rm Room 130

    John Mislow Memorial Lecture

    Stanislas Dehaene, Professor, Collège de France

    “Understanding the neural code for conscious symbolic thought:
    A challenge for human cognitive neuroscience”

    Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | 4:00 p.m.
    Reception to follow

    Stanislas Dehaene According to the global neural workspace hypothesis, the mechanisms of conscious access are similar in human and non-human species. Wherein, then, lies the singularity of the human brain? In this talk, I will propose that the contents of consciousness became markedly richer in humans as our brains acquired a capacity for compositional thought using discrete symbols. Recent comparative data from my lab show that humans possess unique abilities for symbolic learning and a mathematical “language of thought”. Even the mere perception of a square or a zig-zag involves a short mental program that captures the observed data in an internal language of geometry. Behavioral and brain- imaging experiments indicate that the perception of geometric shapes is poorly captured by current convolutional neural network models of the ventral visual pathway, but involves a symbolic geometrical description within the dorsal parieto-prefrontal network. I will argue that existing connectionist models do not suffice to account for even elementary human perceptual data, and that neural codes for symbols and syntax remain to be discovered.

    More Information 
  • Speaker: Miranda Scolari (Texas Tech University)

    Title: TBA

    Abstract: TBA

    More Information 
  • May
    3
    2:00pm - 3:30pm

    Social & Cognitive Science Brown Bag Seminar Series: Semir Tatlidil

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Semir Tatlidil, Brown University
    Title: TBA
    Abstract: TBA

    More Information 
  • May
    4
    11:00am - 1:00pm

    PhD Career Beyond Academia Series: Career Journey as an International Student

    167 Angell Street, Rm 1st Floor Conference Room

     

    Join us to meet our exceptional Brown international PhD alumni who are currently excelling in various industries!

    At this in-person event, you will:

    •  Explore different career options that are available for international PhD students
    • Hear alumni’s stories of career transition from academia to industries and the challenges that international students may face during the process
    • Learn more about the skills you can gain at Brown for different types of careers

    Our Ph.D. alumni speakers are:

    • Jiuyang (Joey) Bai, PhD in Cognitive Science, Senior Machine Learning Engineer at CVS Health
    • Isabella Gama, PhD in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Associate at McKinsey & Company
    • Youngmin Lee, PhD in Chemistry, Patent Agent at Cantor Colburn LLP
    • Asli Sahin, PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Director of Search and Evaluation Neuroscience at Abbvie
    • Shubham Sharma, PhD in Chemical Engineering, Senior Scientist at Pfizer
    More Information Careers, Recruiting, Internships
  • May
    9
    12:00pm - 1:00pm

    Perception & Action Seminar Series: Sabine Kastner

    Metcalf Research Building, Rm 305

    Speaker: Sabine Kastner (Princeton)

    Title: TBA

    Abstract: TBA

    More Information 
  • Jun
    6

    Sixth Annual Dr. Samuel M. Nabrit Conference for Early Career Scholars

    June 6-7, 2024
    Brown University
    Providence, RI

    The 2024 Dr. Samuel M. Nabrit Conference for Early Career Scholars (June 6-7) will showcase the research achievements of outstanding molecular life scientists from historically underrepresented groups.

    The conference is free and in person, hosted by the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry Department at Brown University.

    Conference Keynote Speakers

    Keynote speakers for the conference will be Dr. Sherilynn Black, PhD (Duke University), and Dr. Blanton Tolbert, PhD (University of Pennsylvania).

    Sherilynn Black, PhD

    Sherilynn Black, PhD

    Blanton S. Tolbert, PhD

    Blanton S. Tolbert, PhD

    The conference program will open Thursday afternoon June 6 and close Friday evening June 7. It will feature short talks by invited early career scholars, panel events focusing on identity and professional development, and a poster session.

    This will be an inclusive event, drawing attendees from the Brown BioMed community (including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and campus organizations) as well as registered participants from across the US. The conference has been named in honor of Dr. Samuel Milton Nabrit, Brown’s first African-American PhD recipient and a marine biologist with a distinguished international career.

    For questions about the 2024 Samuel M. Nabrit Conference for Early Career Scholars, please contact [email protected].

    Learn MoreMore Information Biology, Medicine, Public Health, Graduate School, Postgraduate Education, Mathematics, Technology, Engineering, Psychology & Cognitive Sciences, Research
  • Jun
    13
    1:00pm - 5:00pm

    Spring Retreat: Center for Translational Neuroscience

    70 Ship Street, Rm 107

    We hope that you will join us for our annual Spring Retreat on Thursday, June 13th, from 1PM-5PM in LMM 107 at 70 Ship Street. The full schedule will be posted as we get closer to the retreat. Social to follow in the Ship Street Courtyard. 

    Eric Morrow, MD/PhD, Director
    Judy Liu, MD/PhD, Associate Director
    More Information CTN