Neuroscientists Talk Shop

On April 25, 2024, we met with the 5 speakers for this year's Annual Neuroscience Symposium at UTSA to discuss epigenetics and nervous system development. We discussed the best known molecular mechanisms that control patterns of gene expression and current limitations faced in studies of those mechanisms. We also discussed the promise of epigenetics to explain the differentiation of nervous system cell types, mechanisms of developmental, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Guests: Melanie Carless, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Christine Ladd-Acosta, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Paulino Ramirez, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio Alexey Soshnev, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Hehuang "David" Xie, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music

On April 18, 2024 we spoke with Nancy Philp about the blood supply to the retina and the cells and membrane transporters that deliver glucose and lactate to photoreceptors and other cells for glycolytic and aerobic metabolism. Guest: Nancy Philp, Professor, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical School, Thomas Jefferson University Participating: Erica Tatiana Camacho, Departments of Mathematics and Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music

On April 4, 2024 we had a chance to talk to Kara Marshall about the membrane protein PIEZO2, which is responsible for sensory transduction of many of the mechanical senses, including light touch, vibration, and proprioception. We especially focused on its function in sensing internal pressure and movement, including bladder pressure and blood pressure. Guest: Kara Marshall, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine Participating: Lindsey Macpherson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music

On March 21, 2024, we spoke with Dennis Sparta on the complexity of brain circuitry and strategies for dissecting out the contributions of different brain areas engaged in reward and in alcohol use. Guest: Dennis Sparta, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago. Participating: Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music

On March 7, 2024, we were joined by Lynn Dobrunz to talk about brain circuits underlying anxiety and PTSD, and the role of neuropeptide Y modulation of glutamate transmission in the hippocampus and amygdala. Guest: Lynn Dobrunz, who is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Director of the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis. Participating: Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music

On February 29, 2024 we got to talk to Dwight Bergles about the cellular mechanism that generates spontaneous activity in auditory receptors before the onset of hearing, and the function of that activity in development of appropriate circuitry throughout the auditory pathway. Guest: Dwight Bergles,Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, and Otolaryrngology-Head & Neck Surgery, and the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Participating: Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music

On February 22, 2024 we talked with Janko Gospocic about changes in gene expression associated with changes in social status in a fascinating species of ants. Guest: Janko Gospocic, Assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences at UT Southwestern University Participating: Lacy Barton, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music.

On February 15, 2024 we talked with Yarimar Carrasquillo on acute and chronic pain, and the brain circuits responsible for self-maintaining pathological chronic pain. Guest: Yarimar Carrasquillo, Investigator, Section on Behavioral Neurocircuitry and Cellular Plasticity at the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Participating: Lindsey Macpherson,Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music.

On February 8, 2024, we met with Josh Neunuebel, to discuss his work on ultrasonic vocalization during mouse social behavior. We discussed his method for experimental compilation of the range of socially used vocalizations, and determining their behavioral meanings. Guest: Josh Neunuebel, Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware. Participating: Alfonso Apicella, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Nicole Wicha, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music.

On February 1, 2024, Lori Holt joined us to talk about categorical perception of speech (and some other) sounds, how they are learned and the brain mechanisms responsible for them. Guest: Lori Holt, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin Participating: Nicole Wicha, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Marina Silveria, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA

On January 25, 2024 we spoke with Michael Long about vocalization, language and conversation from birds to humans. We discuss what can be learned from birdsong, warbling in parrots, singing mice, and human conversation. Guest: Michael Long, Thomas Suzanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology and Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the New York University School of Medicine. Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music.

On January 19, 2024 we talked with Itamar Lerner on the complex relationship between sleep and learning, the phases of sleep, and kinds of learning. Guest: Itamar Lerner, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music.

On November 30, 2023 we spoke with Rebecca Shansky on the brain circuits responsible for fear learning, the errors we make as we simplify measurement to make behavioral experiments practical, and the future of behavioral science. Guest: Rebecca Shansky, Professor, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University Participating: Matt Wanat, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Morgan Johnston, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA

On November 27, 2023 we had the special opportunity to chat with Erica Korb about the nucleosome - the histone protein and DNA structure that controls the availability of genes for transcription. She explained about replication dependent and replication independent histone variants and the special demands on and features of the nucleosome of neurons. Guest: Erica Korb, Assistant Professor of Genetics and the Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Participating: Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music

On November 9, 2023 we talked to Anne West about promoters, transcription factors and histones for controlling gene expression in neurons during development and adulthood. Guest: Anne West, Professor of Neurobiology and Cell Biology, Duke University Participating, Alexey Soshnev, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Developmental Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Developmental Biology, UTSA Thanks to JM Tepper for original music

On November 2, 2023 we spoke with Allan Gulledge on the function of neuromodulation and neuromodulators, especially acetylcholine, in the cerebral cortex. We asked him about their role is cortical signal processing and state changes in the circuit. Guest: Allan Gulledge, Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College Participating: David Jaffe, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music.

On October 26, 2023 we spike with Ben Clark about the construction and properties of a cognitive map in the brain. We considered the existing data on cellular responses that have been described in the cortex, thalamus and hippocampus, and how cells with those responses could be part of a system that is used to map space. Guest: Ben Clark, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Participating: Francesco Savelli, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to James Tepper for original music

On October 19, 2023 we spoke with MacKenzie Howard on the genetics and neurophysiology of Dravet syndrome, a severe genetic and developmental form of epilepsy. We learned how the a single genetic mutation can lead to a cascade of physiological defects during development. Guest: MacKenzie Howard, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and the Center for Learning and Memory at the Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin. Participating: Jenny Hsieh, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Thanks to Jim Tepper for original music

On September 28, 2023 we spoke with Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera about measuring arousal and its role in motivated behavior. Guest: Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Cell Biology and Physiology, and Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Participating: Tony Burgos-Robles, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host: Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA thanks to JM Tepper for original music

On September 21st, 2023, we spoke with Tianyi Mao about improved methods for studying the spatial organization of connections between brain regions. This is Tianyi's second appearance on Neuroscientists Talk Shop. The previous one was Episode 35, from 14 years ago, in September 2009 Guest Tianyi Mao, Scientist, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University Participant James Jones, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA Host Charles Wilson, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, UTSA thanks to JM Tepper for original music