‘Train the Brain’ Events Share Discoveries About Building Brain Resilience
Why do some people age well despite having heritable risks for Alzheimer’s disease or live successful, emotionally stable lives despite traumatic stress? Significant research is seeking answers, including researchers at Florida Atlantic, whose efforts need to be better understood by the public.
To pursue this goal, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute (SNBI) hosted a pair of events that explored breakthrough neuroscience research seeking to understand the basis of brain resilience and lay the foundation for new treatments of brain disorders. The events were sponsored by Palm Health Foundation, center sponsor, and presented as part of the foundation’s annual Train the Brain public outreach series.
Train the Brain: Neuroscience Research Symposium and Train the Brain: Neuroscience Community Conversation featured SNBI researchers and scientists from across the United States, each sharing their expertise on brain health throughout the lifespan – from fetal and early life development through adulthood and the maturing brain.
“We intentionally selected speakers whose science and presentation styles would engage highly experienced researchers and their trainees, as well as the lay public who often lack direct exposure to leading scientists in their fields,” said Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., David J. S. Nicholson distinguished professor in neuroscience and executive director of SNBI.
The event programs included the following challenges to resiliency in the:
Adult Brain
- Ning Quan, Ph.D., professor of biomedical science, FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, director of SNBI’s Program in Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, addressed the mechanisms of body-brain immune coordination across the lifespan.
- Jennifer Felger, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, described effects of brain inflammation as it relates to depression risk, with insights to diagnosis and treatment.
- Brittany D. Needham, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy, cell biology and physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, described the conversation between gut and brain, where resident microbes produce metabolites that can affect brain function.
Aging Brain
- Henriette van Praag, Ph.D., associate professor, College of Medicine and SNBI, described her career-long search for the positive effects of exercise on brain and mental health from middle age through later life, revealing molecules released by muscle that support cognitive function.
- Corinne Lasmézas, Ph.D., director, SNBI’s David and Lynn Nicholson Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, and professor, College of Medicine, was the keynote speaker for both events. She shared her breakthrough research on new leads to forestall and treat debilitating neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease.
Developing Brain
- Judy Van de Water, Ph.D., professor of medicine, University of California, Davis, described the impact of maternal antibodies associated with autism spectrum disorder, specifically how a severe infection in the mother could pass these molecules to the fetus with the potential to disrupt brain development.
- Alexandre Bonnin, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, explained neuroplacentology, the influence of the placenta in fetal brain development and how its protective barrier can be breached as a result of maternal infection.
The Neuroscience Symposium included talks from two of SNBI’s early-career scientists, Paula Gajewski, Ph.D., assistant research professor and Daniel Nemeth, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the Schmidt College of Medicine. Both researchers explored the effects of inflammation on brain function. Gajewski focused on its role in serotonin disruption and depression, and Nemeth mapped key indicators of the brain’s immune response by comparing a healthy versus inflamed brain.
“We were able to bring in world-class scientists to share their discoveries to the FAU research community and to members of the public thirsty for solutions regarding mental health issues," said Quan, co-organizer of the events. “The scientific presentations inspired more research in the area of resiliency from the FAU faculty and their future collaborations with international experts. The talks for the public generated a lot of interest for the community to engage in holistic initiatives for mental health.”