MBM goes to NSF – Miniature Brain Machinery

Gelson Pagan-Diaz, Anne McKinney, and Martha Gillette present posters on research and program highlights during the meeting’s poster session.

The Miniature Brain Machinery Program sent a delegation to the annual NSF-NRT meeting in Washington, DC September 27-28. Representing the program were faculty Martha Gillette and Joon Kong, trainee Gelson Pagan-Diaz, coordinator Anne (Sofya) McKinney, and evaluator Lizanne DeStefano.

The MBM group presented two posters, one on highlights of the program, and one on trainee research. Pagan-Diaz presented a poster on his research, titled “Modulating behavior of mESC-derived neural networks through optogenetic stimulation during neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in vitro.”

The annual NSF-NRT meeting is an opportunity for research traineeship programs (NRTs) supported by the National Science Foundation to share research, information, and program insights with colleagues.

Overview

Discoveries relevant to our brains, which influence and control such a wide range of actions, emotions, and thoughts, have relied on two complimentary approaches: cognitive and behavior studies and brain cell and tissue biology studies. Our research traineeship program utilizing miniature brain machinery, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), combines these two paradigms to train the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce to advance discovery. Our students are recruited from neuroscience, cell and developmental biology, molecular and integrative physiology, chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering, bioengineering, electrical and computer engineering, and psychology to foster a culture of innovation and translational research, and will significantly impact efforts to understand and control brain activities ongoing at other institutions.