black0101 – SENC 2025 – 20th Meeting of the Spanish Society of Neuroscience. 3-5 September. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Spain

S09 Decoding Astrocyte-Neuron dynamics in brain function

Organizers
Gertrudis Perea; Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Speakers
Astrocyte Kir4.1 expression level territorially controls excitatory transmission
Dmitri Rusakov. UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
Astrocytes in higher brain function
Inbal Goshen. The Edmond & Lily Safre Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel
ControControl of dendritic computation by astrocytic D-serine and glycine signallingl
Christian Henneberger. University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Astrocyte tuning of social behaviors
Gertrudis Perea. Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Details
The symposium addresses the pivotal role of astrocytes play alongside neurons in shaping brain activity and complex behaviors. Astrocyte-neuron signaling represents a cutting-edge frontier in neuroscience, offering new insights into brain function that extend beyond traditional neuron-focused research. Astrocytes, a type of glial cell once considered merely supportive, are now recognized as active participants in the brain’s signaling processes. They modulate synaptic transmission, regulate blood flow, and play critical roles in neurovascular coupling and metabolic support to neurons. This symposium highlights cutting-edge discoveries by experts in the field revealing how astrocytes contribute also to higher brain functions, such as memory formation, learning, and emotional processing. Therefore, astrocyte-neuron «crosstalk» results essential for understanding the brain as an integrated system rather than as isolated parts.

S07 Inhibitory circuits supporting network function

Organizers
Manuel Valero. Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
Speakers
Inhibitory circuits supporting developmental network dynamics
Laura Modol. Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
Cooperative action of interneuron classes supports the hippocampal function
Manuel Valero, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
Role of interneurons in hippocampal network dynamics for learning and memory
Antonio Fernández-Ruiz, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. Cornell University, Ithaca (NY), US.
Avalanche dynamics and interneurons in the hippocampus during sleep following spatial learning
Jozsef Csicsvari, Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria.
Details
Interneurons constitute a minority (15%) of cortical neurons but embody much of the neuronal genetic diversity. What evolutionary advantage might have driven this disproportionate diversity of interneurons? While the scientific community agrees that this diversity is essential for brain function, our ability to dissect their functional roles has been limited until recent years. In this symposium, we bring together four speakers from diverse disciplines, ranging from development to learning and memory, who exemplify the complexity and significance of integrating interneuronal diversity into the investigation of the neural mechanisms of behavior.

S06 Cell fate in human neurodevelopment and disease

Organizers
Ana Uzquiano, Harvard University, Cambridge MA (USA)
Sara Bizzotto, Imagine Institute, Inserm, Paris (France)
Speakers
Profiling and programming human in vitro neuronal diversity at single-cell resolution
Hsiu-Chuan Lin. Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona (Spain)
Unlocking human cortical development through brain organoids
Ana Uzquiano. Harvard University, Cambridge MA (USA)
Identifying the first emergence of cortical disorder risks
Gabriel Sanpere. Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona (Spain)
Somatic mosaicism and cell lineages in human neurodevelopment and disease
Sara Bizzotto. Imagine Institute, Inserm, Paris (France)
Details
In this symposium, we bring together complementary expertise in the neurodevelopment field to tackle specific questions about how the human brain is built, with a focus on cell fate in development, evolution and disease.

S05 Excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms mediating dysfunction of neural circuits in neurodegeneration

Organizers
Arnaldo Parra-Damas, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Carlos Saura; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Speakers
Impact of Aβ and tau pathologies on the transcriptomes of excitatory and inhibitory hippocampal neurons
Arnaldo Parra-Damas. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
The role of hippocampal inhibition in memory deficits and functional recovery in Alzheimer’s disease mice
Laure Verret. Université de Toulouse, Research Center on Animal Cognition, CNRS, Toulouse, France.
Interneuron hyperexcitability is an early driver of hippocampal network imbalance in AD mice
Ronald E. Van Kesteren. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Gene regulatory network alterations in Alzheimer’s disease at single-cell resolution
Mireya Plass. Universitat de Barcelona & IDIBELL.
Details
Recent advances on cell-specific/single-cell profiling and modulation technologies have allowed detailed characterization of specific neural populations during physiological and pathological conditions. In neurodegenerative diseases, early altered activity of brain circuits is associated with transcriptional and pathophysiological changes affecting specific cell types and their interactions, including excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), excitatory neurons are the main degenerating population, although emerging evidence indicate that early dysfunction of GABAergic interneurons mediate excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance, leading to hyperexcitability and memory loss. In this symposium, we will present recent findings on the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating E/I dysfunction of neural circuits in neurodegenerative diseases, including AD.

S01 - Exploring the neural substrates of number sense: a perspective on genetics, behaviour and neural circuity

Organizers
José Vicente Torres Pérez. Department of Cellular Biology, Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, Spain
Speakers
Impact of cerebral asymmetry on quantitative abilities in zebrafish
Maria Elena Miletto-Petrazzini, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
Exploring number sense deficit in Williams syndrome using zebrafish
José Vicente Torres Pérez, Department of Cellular Biology, Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, Spain
Genetic variance in numerosity and its association with working memory
Caroline H Brennan, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Single neuron coding of numerosity in chicks and zebrafish developmental insights
Mirko Zanon, Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; and Translational Imaging Center, Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
Details
This symposium delves into a rapidly advancing area of cognitive neuroscience that remains underexplored: Numerical cognition or «Number sense», which refers to the innate ability to perceive and estimate quantities. This fundamental cognitive skill relies on an evolutionary conserved mechanism in all vertebrates. This symposium will uniquely combine insights from genetics, neurobiology, and comparative psychology to uncover the biological underpinnings of this vital cognitive process.

S03 Neuron-Glia Metabolic Cooperation: Vital for Organismal Homeostasis and Health

Organizers

Juan P. Bolaños. University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

Ángeles Almeida. CSIC Salamanca, Spain

Speakers

Metabolic flexibility of astrocytes in signaling and behavior

Juan Pedro Bolaños. University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

Metabolic flexibility of the Drosophila nervous system

Stefanie Schirmeier. Technische Universität Dresden, Department of Biology, 01217 Dresden, Germany

The astrocyte-to-neuron L-serine shuttle contributes to hippocampal plasticity

Gilles Bonvento. Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Paris, France

Metabolic Support for Myelin Maintenance and Repair: The Role of Monocarboxylates and Their Transporters

Vanja Tepavcevic. Laboratory of Comparative and Regenerative Neurobiology, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Department of Cell Biology, Valencia, Spain

Details

Major advances have occurred in the understanding of the cellular and molecular determinants of brain energy metabolism highlighting a novel framework of well-regulated and dynamic metabolic dialogues between different cell types. These comprise neuron-astrocyte coupling in the grey matter, and oligodendrocyte-axonal metabolic coupling in the white matter, the mechanisms of which are only beginning to be deciphered. The current conceptual understanding proposes that neuron-astrocyte and axon-oligodendrocyte partnerships function as distinct metabolic units, collaborating intricately to sustain brain function and promote the overall well-being of the organism.

S02. New approaches to understanding and restoring impaired sensory and motor functions caused by spinal cord injuries: the need for multidisciplinary therapies to combat highly complex diseases.

Organizers

Juan Aguilar. Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos. SESCAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha. IDISCAM. Toledo. Spain.»

Speakers

María Concepción Serrano López-Terradas. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC

Carmelo Bellardita. Neural Circuitries and Motor Repair Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience. Copenhagen University.

Kajana Satkunendrarajah. Department of Neurosurgery, Associate Director of Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin»

Juan Aguilar. Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos. SESCAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha. IDISCAM. Toledo. Spain.

Details

Renowned experts will present cutting-edge techniques to analyze neural circuits and their roles in movement and sensory integration. The symposium will highlight methods such as neuromodulation, biomaterials, optical control, electrophysiology, and viral tracing to explore how brain-spinal pathways coordinate complex functions, emphasizing the integration of these advanced approaches to uncover the mechanisms driving movement generation and sensory processing.

S15 Structuring the world: noise, probabilities, chunks and contexts

Organizers

Livia de Hoz. Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin Neuroscience, Germany

Alejandro Tabas. Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain

Speakers

Adaptive sound representation along the subcortico-cortical hierarchy depending on stimulus statistics

Livia de Hoz. Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin Neuroscience, Germany

Perceptual inference in the human subcortical auditory pathway

Alejandro Tabas. Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain

Statistics, rules and probabilities: Different representational learning mechanisms across species

József Fiser. Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

Statistical learning and the learning curve: contextual inference and continual learning

Máté Lengyel. University of Cambridge, UK

Details

In this symposium we will discuss our current understanding of how the brain chunks the sensory stream and parses it to a structured representation of perceptual objects. We will investigate the neural mechanisms responsible for this process, the neural structures and circuits implementing them, and the nature and structure of the final perceptual representation. We will address these questions from different sensory perspectives and levels of analysis, from subcortical processing of acoustic noise (de Hoz, mouse) and probabilistic stimuli (Tabas, human), to cognitive chunking (Fiser, bees, chicks, and humans), and context inference (Lengyel, computational models).

S14 Gliotransmission and Metabolic Interplay

Organizers

Ana Covelo. Universidad de Vigo

Speakers

Ana Covelo. Universidad de Vigo

Paola Bezzi. Universitéde Lausanne, Switzerland

Cristina García-Cáceres. Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center at Helmholtz Munich, Munich, Germany

Giovanni Marsicano. Bordeaux Neurocampus

Details

Astrocyte control of brain physiology is one of the hot topics in neuroscience. Although historically considered passive cells, accumulating evidence has revealed that astrocytes actively participate in regulating brain activity and behavior. They do this through metabolic processes but also by releasing neuroactive substances, termed gliotransmitters, that interact with neurons to regulate their activity. In this symposium we will review the most recent findings regarding how astrocytes regulate neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity in different brain circuits to impact animal behavior. The selected speakers are recognized experts in the field, each offering insights into different neuronal networks and expertise ranging from synaptic physiology to behavior.

S13 Beyond Shaping Vision: Advances in Circuit Assembly and Plasticity

Organizers

Eloisa Herrera; Instituto de Neurociencias, CSIC, Alicante, Spain

Robert Hindges; King’s College London, UK

Speakers

Rewiring Axonal Laterality of Retinothalamic Projections in Mice Enhances Binocular Vision and Predatory Behaviour

Eloisa Herrera; Instituto de Neurociencias, CSIC, Alicante, Spain

Early Visual Experience Elicits Cellular and Functional Plasticity in the Retina and Alters Behaviour

Robert Hindges; King’s College London, UK

Development and Plasticity of Crossmodal Visual-Auditory Circuits for Adaptive Behaviors

Marta Nieto; Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Plasticity and stability: lessons from the visual cortex

Tommaso Pizzorusso, Scoula Normale Superiore, Italy

Details

This symposium brings together leading experts to provide a comprehensive overview of current research on the visual system’s functionality and plasticity. lt presents recent views of how the building of the visual system and visual responses depend on complex circuital, cellular, and functional responses to environmental stimuli. It highlights important implications for our understanding and intervening in neurodevelopmental disorders.

S12 Antibody-mediated mechanisms in autoimmune neurological disorders

Organizers

Estibaliz Maudes. ECTRIMS Postdoctoral fellow, Translational Neuroinflammation Group. Institut for Neuropathology, Neurology Clinic, Fraunhofer Institute, Göttingen Medical University, Göttingen, Germany.

Josep Dalmau. Leader of the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Neuronal Disorders Group. Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), CaixaResearch Institute, University of Barcelona, Spain. Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Speakers

From patients’ symptoms to the discovery of antibody-mediated synaptic disorders

Josep Dalmau. Leader of the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Neuronal Disorders Group. Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), CaixaResearch Institute, University of Barcelona, Spain. Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Animal models of autoimmune encephalitis and what we can learn for clinical management

Estibaliz Maudes. ECTRIMS Postdoctoral fellow, Translational Neuroinflammation Group. Institut for Neuropathology, Neurology Clinic, Fraunhofer Institute, Göttingen Medical University, Göttingen, Germany.

Cross-talk between antibodies and innate immunity in encephalitis

Marianna Spatola. Junior leader by La Caixa Foundation. Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), CaixaResearch Institute, University of Barcelona, Spain.

Antibody-mediated changes in neuronal circuits and memory

Albert Compte. Leader of the Theoretical Neurobiology of Cortical Circuits Group. Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Spain.

Details

This symposium will explore the expanding role of neural cell-surface antibodies in neurological diseases. These antibodies, targeting ion channels, receptors, and synaptic proteins, are linked to a broad range of neurological symptoms. Notably, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibodies are commonly found in patients with psychiatric symptoms, memory deficits, and other neurological alterations. Advances in neuroimmunology have helped elucidate antibody-mediated encephalitis mechanisms using cellular and animal models. Imaging and electrophysiological studies have detailed how autoantibodies interact with cell-surface proteins, disrupting their function. Meanwhile, passive transfer models have demonstrated the pathogenicity of these antibodies in vivo, and emerging active immunization models provide deeper insights into disease immunobiology and potential therapies.

Beyond direct receptor or synaptic protein effects, neural cell-surface antibodies can also trigger innate immune responses, including microglial activation, which may contribute to antigen loss and neuronal dysfunction. However, the mechanisms driving the diversity of clinical phenotypes remain poorly understood, emphasizing the need for systematic profiling of patients’ antibodies. Additionally, these autoantibodies serve as powerful tools for studying cognitive processes, with recent findings indicating their impact on neuronal circuits involved in working memory. This symposium will present a comprehensive review of antibody-mediated mechanisms in immune-mediated neurological disorders, offering valuable insights into both disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic advancements.

S11 Neural Mechanisms for Internal State-Dependent Animal Behavior

Organizers

Nicolás Gutiérrez-Castellanos, Universidad de Valencia, UV

Speakers

Anne Petzold. European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, ENI-G

Amelia Douglas. Institute of Science and Technology Austria, IST

Andrew MacAskill. University College of London, UK

Nicolás Gutiérrez-Castellanos. Universidad de Valencia, UV

Details

Animal behavior is not deterministic, that is, the same sensory input will not always lead to the same behavioral output. Instead, the behavioral response exhibited by an animal is strongly influenced by its internal state, which is determined by complex body-brain interactions that include metabolic and hormonal communication as well as past experiences. A clear example of this is found in food-seeking behavior. An animal doesn’t always eat a discovered food source. Instead, its decision depends on various contextual and internal signals, such as its metabolic state, energy cost, and potential threats from predators. Consequently, the animal may prioritize safety or rest over eating if it isn’t hungry, too tired, or frightened. Understanding the complexity of how the brain integrates sensory evidence with the internal state to shape behavior is central to this symposium, which aims to showcase cutting-edge research revealing a wide array of neural mechanisms that support these flexible decisions.

S10 Unraveling Neurodevelopmental Disorders: from mouse models to human brain organoids

Organizers

Aixa V. Morales. Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Antonella Consiglio. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) University of Barcelona

Speakers

Cellular crosstalk in brain development

Silvia Capello. Developmental Neurobiology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Germany)

Applications of human brain organogenesis

Alysson R. Muotri. Dep. of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine at the University of California (San Diego, California)

Establishing human iPSC-derived brain organoids to model Tyrosine Hydroxylase Deficiency (THD) disease

Antonella Consiglio. Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) University of Barcelona (Spain)

Animal models for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders in Lamb-Shaffer syndrome

Aixa V. Morales. Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid (Spain)

Details

The aim of this Symposium is to bring together researchers from the fields of stem cell reprogramming and brain organoids as well as experts in developmental biology and neurobiology to jointly discuss: i) the need of increasing our comprehension of molecular mechanism(s) underlying human neurodevelopment; ii) the challenges that exist in understanding the uniquely human aspects of NDDs; and iii) the design of new targeted disease-modifying therapies for NDDs. Advances in neural differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, including 3D brain organoids, and their contribution to the understanding of human brain development and disease, will be also discussed.

S08 Multiscale approximations to understand microglia dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease: from genes to cells, looking for new therapeutic targets

Organizers

Silvia De Santis. Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH

Speakers

Neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease

Jose P. López-Atalaya. Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH

Probing microglial contributions up- and down-stream of amyloid plaque deposition

Giles E. Hardingham. University of Edinburgh

Microglial dysfunction and senescence in Alzheimer’s disease brains

Antonia Gutierrez. University of Malaga, IBIMA-Plataforma Bionand and CIBERNED

Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to assess microstructural trajectories in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Silvia De Santis. Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, CSIC-UMH

Details

This symposium will address the relevance of microglia states in the Alzheimer’s disease pathological course through a multi-scale, multi-species focus. The symposium will present state-of-the-art approximations, including single cell transcriptomics, cell profiling and microstructural neuroimaging in both animal models and human tissue.

S04 Understanding Habenulae function in Emotional Behavior

Organizers

Joaquín Piriz, Achúcarro

Edgar Soria-Gómez; Achucarro

Speakers

Edgar Soria-Gómez, Achucarro

Susanna Molas, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Inés Ibañez-Tallón, The Rockefeller University, USA

Christophe Proulx, CERVO, Université Laval, Canada

Details

The symposium aims to elucidate how the habenula contributes to the encoding of motivation and emotion across different behavioral states. The ultimate goal is to identify molecular targets that modulate these processes in physiology and pathology.

Symposium deadline submission extended until 1 December, 2025(clone)

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