Birth of the brain

Neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) form and change in response to physical forces, allowing us to sense and learn about the world. With the latest advances in cell culture techniques, we can now grow models of organs a la carte, offering new ways to learn about the CNS. I will show how we are using this technique to search for treatments against aggressive brain tumors and to develop effective neurological therapies based on mechanical stimulation.

Birds are extremely intelligent animals that can sense their environment in ways humans cannot comprehend. With new microscopic imaging and neural recording techniques, we can access specialized regions in the bird brain and learn about how they process information that is normally inaccessible to us. I will discuss how we are using these methods to understand one of the greatest remaining mysteries in sensory biology: how do birds sense the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation?