S18: Cortical-subcortical interactions in typical and atypical brain development

Convened by Simons Institute for the Developing Brain

This symposium will explore the function of cortical regions and their interactions with various subcortical brain regions in the context of typical development and neurodevelopmental disorders. Speakers utilising diverse approaches, including electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, and behavioural paradigms, will share their latest research on neuronal plasticity, sensory representations, and network function in both humans and rodent models. A particular focus will be on how genetic changes that underpin neurodevelopmental disorders affect cortical function and interactions with subcortical structures, and the resulting implications for behaviour and cognition. Attendees will gain insights into the neuronal underpinnings of perception and memory as well as recent advances in understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.

Co Chair: Dr Rebecca Jordan: Locus coeruleus gates visuomotor plasticity in primary visual cortex

Co-Chair: Dr Danai Katsanevaki: Noradrenergic-dependent disruption of visual discrimination in a mouse model of SYNGAP1 -related intellectual disability

Professor Matt Jones: The sleep detectives: stratifying thalamocortical development and function through the lens of sleep

Dr Isabelle Groves: The hippocampus critically supports object memory formation because it prevents interference in perirhinal cortex: Implications for theories of anterograde amnesia