Brain Science External Postdoc Seminar Series
The Carney Institute's Brain Science External Postdoc Seminar Series (BrainExPo) showcases the work of advanced postdoctoral scholars from around the world. The goal of this series is to: 1) provide a platform for early-career scientists to share their research and network with Carney's brain science community, and 2) provide an opportunity for the institute's community of faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students to hear about new innovative research.

Any postdoctoral researcher conducting brain science research may apply to participate in the seminar series. Selected speakers will present a research seminar and have the opportunity to meet with Brown University faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seminars and meetings will be held online.

Speaker lineup for 2021
Speaker | Date | Title |
Sergey D. Stavisky | January 25 | Intracortical brain-computer interfaces: from fundamental science and engineering to restoring speech, reach and grasp |
Allan-Hermann Pool | February 22 | Mapping and re-engineering neural circuits mediating biological motivations |
Anita Devineni | March 29 | Neural processing for flexible behavior in the Drosophila taste system |
Lisa Scheunemann | April 26 | Context-dependent Memory Suppression |
Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | May 24 | Ascending somatosensory circuitry that shapes the perception of touch and pain |
Ashley Ingiosi | June 28 | Of sleep and stars: defining a role for astrocytes in sleep and sleep homeostasis |
Recordings of the seminars are available to Brown faculty upon request. Email Chen Ming for more information.
Speakers were selected by the BrainExPo selection committee. Members include:
- E. Javier López Soto, postdoctoral research associate in the Lipscombe Lab
- Chen Ming, postdoctoral research associate in the Simmons Lab
- Rajan Thakur, postdoctoral research associate in the O'Connor-Giles Lab
- Adrian Thompson, postdoctoral research associate in the Aizenman Lab
- Meet Zandawala, research associate in the Barnea Lab
BrainExPo faculty advisors include:
- Kate O'Connor-Giles, Provost's Associate Professor of Brain Science
- Jessica Plavicki, Manning Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Alexander Fleischmann, Provost's Associate Professor of Brain Science
For more information about BrainExPo, contact the selection committee.

About the Carney Institute
The Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science is committed to supporting research and facilitating collaborations in brain science across the Brown University community. The institute's mission is to promote discovery and innovation in brain science by supporting a diverse community of experimentalists, theorists, engineers, and clinical scientists. We do this by recruiting and retaining world-class faculty, creating an outstanding collaborative training environment, seeding innovative projects, supporting collaborative teams, and raising the visibility and reputation of Carney researchers.
The Carney Institute supports research in four areas of excellence: neurobiology of cells and circuits; cognition and behavior; computational brain science; and neuroengineering and neurotechnology.