Neuroanatomy And Computation Across Species Series

Lunch will be available at 13:00 in the Cowey Room. 

Evolutionary drivers of large-scale mammalian brain dynamics

James Pang (Monash University)

Abstract

A central question in comparative neuroscience is how evolutionary modifications in brain structure give rise to the diverse large-scale dynamics observed across mammalian species. In this talk, I will provide insights into this question through two complementary directions based on important anatomical constructs in the brain: geometry and connectivity. First, I will use neural field models to examine how evolutionary variations in cortical geometry give rise to distinct repertoires of wave-like spontaneous activity. Second, I will use neural mass models to examine how differences in connectome architecture alter the levels of functional integration and segregation. Together, these lines of work show how geometry and connectivity, each shaped by evolutionary pressures, jointly organise the dynamical regimes of mammalian brains.

Bio

Dr James Pang received his PhD in Neurophysics from the University of Sydney and completed his postdoctoral training at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. He is currently an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in Monash University, Australia. His research program employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines multimodal neuroimaging, biophysical computational modelling, and statistical physics to better understand the mechanisms of brain structure and function in health, disease, and across species.

Insights into large-scale brain dynamics through neuromodulation

Elizabeth de Guzman (OxCIN)

Abstract

Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) is commonly characterized by synchrony in signals reflecting changes in blood oxygenation, revealing dynamic spatiotemporal patterns relevant to cognition and disease. However, it remains unclear how underlying neural activity and neuromodulatory processes relate to changes in these patterns. In this talk, I will present two studies in mice where we manipulated neural activity: one employing rhythmic optogenetic stimulation, and another modulating oxytocin release. In both cases, we examine how these perturbations reshape brain-wide fMRI dynamics and relate them to electrophysiological recordings. Together, these results provide causal evidence linking neural and neuromodulatory processes to changes in large-scale fMRI dynamics, helping bridge the gap between microscopic mechanisms and macroscopic imaging signals.

Bio 

Elizabeth completed her PhD in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia.  She now works as a postdoctoral fellow with the preclinical imaging group run by Dr. Jason Lerch at the Oxford Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN). Her research focuses on combining experimental and computational approaches to understand how MRI signals relate to the underlying neural activity and microstructure.