Canadian Neuroscience Seminars – Post-Doc series – Scott Rich and Larissa Kraus

DATE: Thursday, July 6, 2023
TIME: 12pm PT/3pm ET
ZOOM LINK: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/85845251397

SPEAKER 1: Scott Rich, SickKids Research Institute

TITLE: Loss of neuronal heterogeneity in epileptogenic human tissue impairs network resilience to sudden changes in synchrony

Scott Rich is a Research Fellow at SickKids Research Institute in the lab of Dr. Steve Prescott. His research uses computational and mathematical techniques, combined with extensive experimental collaboration, to understand how biophysical diversity across spatial scales benefits the brain. This work focuses both on discerning the contributions of this diversity to the consistency and reliability of brain functions in physiological settings, including the development and maintenance of oscillations vital for memory formation, and how disruptions to this diversity promote pathological dynamics, such as seizure in patients with epilepsy.

Dr. Rich was previously a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Krembil Brain Institute in Toronto, serving as the primary liaison between three mentors whose expertise spanned clinical, experimental, computational, and mathematical neuroscience. During this period, he spearheaded numerous interdisciplinary projects, directly mentored nearly a dozen computational trainees, and co-created the Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight (CCNS) for which he remains the lead-organizer. Dr. Rich received his Ph.D in Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics from the University of Michigan studying the specific roles played by inhibitory interneurons in oscillatory neurocircuit activity.

SPEAKER: Larissa Kraus, University of British Columbia

TITLE: Functional and molecular architecture of the healthy and diseased human brain

I completed my Ph.D. at the Charite in Berlin, Germany, where my research revolved around studying the role of RNA-edited glycine receptors in epilepsy using ex-vivo living human brain tissue. Eager to delve deeper into understanding cell-type specific functions in epilepsy, I joined the Cembrowski Lab at UBC Vancouver for my Postdoctoral work.

In the Cembrowski Lab, I employ a multidisciplinary approach, combining electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and transcriptomics to unravel the impact of epilepsy on subpopulations of neurons in the human brain. My primary focus lies in uncovering the involvement of specific subtypes of interneurons in epilepsy and exploring the potential for targeted modulation of their activity. By gaining insights into the unique characteristics and functions of these neuronal subsets, my ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies that can significantly enhance the lives of individuals affected by epilepsy and related neurological conditions.