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Neurobiology Invited Seminar: A comparative approach to understanding the structure and function of inhibitory circuits in the visual thalamus

Speaker

Judith A. Hirsch, hosted by Anita Disney

Duke Neurobiology welcomes Judith Hirsch, PhD, Professor of Biological Sciences/Neurobiology at University of Southern California. Dr. Hirsch will present "A comparative approach to understanding the structure and function of inhibitory circuits in the visual thalamus" LIVE in 103 Bryan with a Zoom simulcast. Email d.shipman@duke.edu for the link. ABSTRACT: The sensory thalamus was once viewed as a relay, serving to communicate information from the periphery to cortex during waking and halting this downstream flow during sleep. It has become increasing clear, however, that thalamus actively integrates sensory information and, most recently, that inhibitory circuits are central to this process. Indeed, inhibitory cells dominate intrinsic circuits in thalamus. Specifically, thalamocortical cells make few local connections but are embedded in two dense inhibitory networks. First, local interneurons supply feedforward inhibition; second, neurons in the adjacent thalamic reticular nucleus provide feedback inhibition. Our work focuses on visual components of the sensory thalamus, including the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the visual compartment of the thalamic reticular nucleus. This seminar will cover comparative anatomical, physiological, and computational approaches to understanding the structure of inhibitory circuits in thalamus and their potential contributions to vision.

Categories

Lecture/Talk, Research