PBRC NEURODIVERSITY SEMINAR

This weekly meeting explores comparative and evolutionary aspects of the nervous sytem as components of biodiversity in the broad sense, in keeping with PBRC's focus on biodiversity research, training and outreach. At least two approaches will be explored to linking in the "diversity" angle: comparison of neural adaptations in related organisms inhabiting different niches or ecosystems (e.g. terrestrial vs aquatic vertebrates) and comparison of convergently-evolved neural adaptations of markedly different organisms occupying similar ecological niches (e.g. fish vs euphausiids). Open to all interested students, faculty, postdocs, visitors, etc. "Journal club"-style format. Topics are chosen by participants and include discussion of current research as well as classic studies.

Please contact Dan Hartline (danh at pbrc.hawaii.edu) if you would like to be added to the distribution list.

Generally, we will cover several topics within a broad theme each semester, attempting to use comparisons among different taxa to gain insight into the roles the nervous system plays in generating and sculpting biological divesity. Reading for each topic will typically include a recent review paper, to be presented by the topic organizer(s), and several research papers, PDFs for which the organizer will distribute to participants the week before, assigning each to one or two participants for discussing.

Simultaneously serving as a graduate seminar course (Zoology 712), officially enrolled students are given priority in choice of topics and presentation dates. Each is expected to lead at least one (multiweek) topic area in the course of a semester (1 unit of credit). Students enrolled for a letter grade will have their grade partly (e.g. 60%) dependent on the discussions they lead and partly on their knowledgeable participation in the other discussions.

FALL 2013 MEETINGS

Meetings in Bekesy Lab Rm. 103A

TBA

First meeting TBA

This semester's theme: "Neurodiversity and Biological Clocks"

Andy Christie will orchestrate solidifying the theme areas and list of papers we will review. Contact him with any questions you might have (crabman at pbrc dot hawaii dot edu). We will focus on cases in which clock interactions with the nervous system play pivotal roles in an organism's adaptiveness, including:

"Auditors" with interest/expertise in specific scheduled topics are welcome. Contact Andy for information on the likely presentation date.

Previous topics