Past Events

King-Wai Yau, Ph.D.
Professor of Neuroscience
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Download event program:

Light Detection by Retinal Rods and Cones

In this talk, King-Wai Yau of Johns Hopkins University presents how retinal rods and cones detect and process light at the most fundamental level. Drawing on decades of pioneering basic science research, he explains the molecular and cellular mechanisms of phototransduction, including how individual photons can be reliably detected by rod photoreceptors and how cones support vision across a wide range of light intensities and colors. The lecture highlights key experimental discoveries that shaped our current understanding of visual signaling and illustrates how fundamental research in sensory biology reveals general principles of neural function.

Kirill A. Martemyanov, PhD
Professor And Chair, Department Of Neuroscience
University of Florida Health

Dr. Martemyanov and his laboratory study the fundamental principles that regulate signaling via G protein coupled receptors (GPCR). GPCRs mediate a vast variety of critical biological processes ranging from proliferation and motility to cellular reception and excitability. GPCR signaling pathways are of particular importance for the nervous system function where they control many fundamental processes including excitability, differentiation, sensory perception and synaptic transmission.

Kristen Kwan, PhD
Professor
University of Utah

Dr. Kristen Kwan and her laboratory study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tissue morphogenesis: the process by which a group of cells achieves its proper cellular organization and shape. Using the vertebrate eye as a model, they want to understand how the cells that comprise the vertebrate optic cup – neural retina, retinal pigmented epithelium, and lens – form the stereotyped structure that is critical for visual function.

David Freedman, PhD

Professor
University of Chicago

Dr. David Freedman and his laboratory use advanced neurophysiological and behavioral techniques, in parallel with machine learning approaches for studying cognitive computations in artificial neural networks. Together, their work is providing insights into the brain mechanisms of visual learning, recognition and decision making.

Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD

Associate Professor
School of Medicine, University of California

Dr. Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk's lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanism of aging in the age-related eye and brain conditions. They study processes regulating gene expression in age-related diseases, with emphasis on how aging affects cellular, metabolic, and transcriptional programs. Mechanism of senescence and polyunsaturated fatty acids metabolism are the two major areas of interest in the lab.