Virtual Event: Deciphering the Complexity of Biological Neural Networks

About the Talk

Integrating AI and Advanced Imaging to Unravel the Mysteries of Brain Connectivity

This talk is tailored for a broad audience interested in learning about the fundamental principles of organization and function of biological neural networks. Anton Maximov will provide an overview of imaging studies that have revealed the remarkable diversity of neurons in the brain and the complexity of their connections. His presentation will begin with the pioneering work of Santiago Ramón y Cajal and extend to contemporary research that integrates advanced imaging technologies with artificial intelligence. He will then discuss recent discoveries from his laboratory at Scripps, unveiling surprising new mechanisms by which neural circuits in the brain are reorganized during memory encoding.

About the Speaker

Anton's laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is dedicated to understanding how neurons in the mammalian brain form their synaptic networks and how these networks are reorganized during memory encoding. The lab approaches these questions using mouse genetics, deep sequencing, biochemistry, optical imaging, three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM), electrophysiology, and behavioral studies. Additionally, Anton's team is developing new methods to access and manipulate specific neuron types in brains of model organisms with small molecules, as well as methods for AI-based analysis of brain structures in 3D-EM volumes. Anton has been studying neural circuits for over 20 years, both as a postdoctoral fellow and as an independent NIH-funded investigator. He has successfully mentored many young scientists, several of whom now hold faculty and postdoc positions at other universities, serve as medical doctors, or work in biotech companies. Anton's group is part of the vibrant and collaborative local neuroscience community, which includes investigators from TSRI, UCSD, and the Salk Institute.