The visual cortex as a window on brain function and dysfunction
On May 12th, at 2.00 p.m. Tommaso Pizzorusso, full professor at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, presents the seminar "The visual cortex as a window on brain function and dysfunction". The seminar will take place in Aula 1 (Polo Sant'Anna Valdera). Click here to join via Webex meeting.
Abstract
The seminar will discuss our work aimed at revealing plasticity modulating factors within the central nervous system and in the periphery. By using technical approaches bridging molecular aspects with direct measurement of neuronal activity I will present data showing how intrinsic factors present in brain tissue interact with the gut-brain axis to modulate plasticity. The studies are mainly focused on the visual cortex of preclinical models, but extrapolations to nonsensory brain areas and to pathological conditions will be made.
Bio
Tommaso Pizzorusso received the Ph.D. in Neurobiology in 1994 from the Scuola Superiore Normale. He was Associate Professor of psychobiology since 2005 at University of Florence and became Full Professor in 2018. Since 2021 he is Full Professor oh Physiology at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa within the BIO@SNS laboratory. His long-term interest is to understand the functional basis of formation of visual cortical circuits in normal conditions or in models of neurodevelopmental disorders. His approach is to combine electrophysiological and imaging techniques with molecular studies. The lab routinely uses both slice electrophysiology, optical imaging and two-photon imaging to characterize structural plasticity and function. These tools are also applied to discover novel biomarkers and to investigate the effects of treatments in models of neurodevelopmental disorders of genetic and vascular origin. During his career he has been the PI and Co-PI of several research grants at national and European level. He has published his researches in about one hundred-thirty scientific papers, including prestigious journals like Science, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron and Cell Reports.