USC-Chen Institute Frontiers Forum
“Sensation and Motivation”
Organizers:
Dr. Li Zhang, Center for Neural Circuits & Sensory Processing Disorders
Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, USC
Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (cheninstitute.org)
Time: March 29-30, 2023
Location: Herklotz Conference Room, ZNI 112
RSVP： https://events.usc.edu/esvp/code/usccheninstitute23
Program:
March 29, 2023
9:00 – 9:30 AM On-site Breakfast (for all attendees)
9:30 – 9:40 AM Opening remarks
Session 1: Chaired by Dr. Xiaoke Chen
9:40 – 10:15 AM
Dr. Maria Geffen, University of Pennsylvania
Cortical coding drives efficient auditory perception
10:15 – 10:50 AM
Dr. Andrew Hires, University of Southern California
Neural correlates of tactile sensation and action across task learning
10:50 – 11:00 AM Coffee break
11:00 – 11:35 AM
Dr. Whit Huizhong Tao, University of Southern California
Contextual and cross-modality modulation of cortical processing
11:35 – 12:10 PM
Dr. Jennifer Hoy, University of Nevada-Reno
Adolescence: a critical time for the development of sensory-motivational integration?
12:30 – 1:30 PM On-site Lunch (for all attendees)
Session 2: Chaired by Dr. Whit Huizhong Tao
1:35 – 2:10 PM
Dr. Xiaoke Chen, Stanford University
Circuitry and Molecular Mechanisms Drives Descending Pain Facilitation
2:10 – 2:45 PM
Dr. Sachiko Yamanaka, University of California, Riverside
Imminence of predator threat detected by the accessory olfactory system in mice
2:45 – 2:55 Coffee break
2:55 – 3:30 PM
Dr. Yuki Oka, California Institute of Technology
Neural regulation of body fluid balance
3:30 – 4:05 PM
Dr. James Poulet, Max Delbrück Center, Berlin
Neural circuits of thermal perception
4:10 – 5:00 PM Reception (for all attendees)
March 30, 2023
9:00 – 9:30 AM Breakfast (for all attendees)
Session 3: Chaired by Dr. Sachiko Yamanaka
9:30 – 10:05 AM
Dr. Weizhe Hong, University of California, Los Angeles
Understanding the Social Brain.
10:05 – 10:40 AM
Dr. Li Zhang, University of Southern California
Sensory circuits for affective and motivational valence
10:40 – 10:50 AM Coffee break
10:50 – 11:25 AM
Dr. Robert Liu, Emory University
Predispositions and Plasticity in Nucleus Accumbens Signaling for Pair Bonding in Prairie Voles
11:25– 12:00 PM
Dr. Lisa Stowers, Scripps Research
Odor sensation and motivation during social behavior in the mouse
Introduction
How external and internal sensory information is processed to produce proper behavioral responses has recently been actively explored. By bringing together outstanding researchers working on different sensory modalities (including visual, auditory, somatosensory, olfactory and gustatory), the forum will be focused on two general questions about sensory information processing in the brain: first, the neural circuitry mechanisms underlying the processing of behaviorally important sensory information; and second, how valence of sensory signals is assigned, encoded and transformed to produce different emotional motivations including reward seeking and avoidance. The forum will serve as a platform for exchanging the latest research progress and ideas, and aims at stimulating substantial discussions between researchers working on different sensory modalities to identify key general questions and principles as well as to foster future collaborations. The forum is co-organized by Tianqiao & Chrissy Chen Institute (TCCI) and held by the Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders in Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute of USC.
The two-day meeting will be structured with a series of short talks and workshop for discussion. The forum aims at stimulating discussions between researchers working on different sensory modalities to exchange ideas, identify general questions, and foster future collaborations.