I am pleased to invite you to attend the MiNDS Colloquium TODAY Thursday Sept 19th at 3:00 in HSC 4E20. Bring your coffee cup for coffee and cookies before the talk at 2:45.

Dr Deda Gillespie is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. She has a BS (Biology) from Yale University and a PhD (Neuroscience) from UCSF.

Dr Gillespie's lab research interests are in neural development, plasticity, and sensory processing. They study how neural circuits are refined during early life--and how circuit precision contributes to sensory processing--in the mammalian auditory system, with a current focus on the lateral superior olive (LSO).

The lateral superior olive (LSO) performs key computations for localizing sound sources and distinguishing auditory signal from noise. Because these computations require that the converging excitatory and inhibitory inputs from the two ears be precisely matched, the LSO is a model system for understanding how excitatory and inhibitory circuits are established and are jointly refined throughout the nervous system. Work in the Gillespie lab aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms of developmental plasticity that guide converging excitatory and inhibitory inputs, bringing them into tonotopic registration and balance in the mammalian LSO. Current questions include:  Why do immature inhibitory neurons release the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in the LSO? Might excitatory and inhibitory inputs talk directly to each other in the LSO? and What are further implications of excitatory-and-inhibitory transmitter co-release for circuit refinement in this system?

We look forward to seeing you all at the talk today.

 

Regards

 

Kathy

 

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Kathryn M Murphy PhD

Professor and Director MiNDS Graduate Program

Dept of Psychology Neuroscience & Behaviour

McMaster University

1280 Main St W 

Hamilton ON L8S 4K1