| 演者 | Guillermina Lopez Bendito Institute of Neuroscience, CSIC, Spain Research Professor |
|---|---|
| 会場 | ハイブリッド（講堂＋Zoom） |
| 日時 | 2026年10月16日（金曜日）11:00～12:00 |
| 世話人 | 丸山 千秋 脳神経回路形成プロジェクト |
| 参加方法 | 詳細は事前に下記問合せ先までご連絡ください |
| お問い合わせ |
研究推進課 普及広報係 電話 03-5316-3109 |
The formation and refinement of functional sensory maps rely on a complex interplay between intrinsic genetic programs and early patterns of neuronal activity. Long before the onset of sensory experience, the embryonic brain generates spontaneous activity waves that instruct early circuit assembly and guide axonal wiring between subcortical structures and the cerebral cortex.
In this lecture, Prof. López-Bendito will present recent findings from her laboratory on how embryonic thalamic spontaneous activity instructs thalamocortical connectivity and shapes functional cortical domains. She will discuss how early sensory pathways, which emerge functionally intermingled in the embryo, progressively segregate around birth into modality-specific networks through coordinated molecular and activity-dependent mechanisms orchestrated at the level of the superior colliculus.
She will also present recent work revealing how sensory modality identity is established within the developing cortex, highlighting the emergence of area-specific molecular programs and adhesion codes that distinguish somatosensory and visual cortical territories, and how thalamic activity subsequently refines these identities. Complementing this cortical perspective, she will discuss new findings on the developmental origin of sensory thalamic nuclei, showing how distinct progenitor lineages and transcriptional programs generate functionally specialized thalamic neuronal populations.
Furthermore, she will address how these developmental principles govern circuit plasticity following sensory loss, offering new insights into the impact of early activity disruptions on brain development.
