Events and Meetings

NeuroWebinar & Seminar
1 appointment per week, on Friday at 2.00 pm

**Hybrid seminar: both in presence (max 25 people in Seminar room) and on webex

Friday 14/11/2025  h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Sala Seminari, Polo Didattico, Ospedale San Luigi
Aldo Genovesio, Università del Piemonte Orientale
Istituto di Biochimica e Biologia Cellulare, CNR, Monterotondo

What can we learn by shifting the focus from individual neurons to neuronal assemblies as the fundamental units of information processing?

Changing the perspective and considering the assembly of neurons as the unit of information processing, rather than the sum of individual neurons, can reveal how a single neuron can play multiple roles in information coding, much like a chess simul master playing on multiple chessboards. A neuron may have no role in information coding when considered alone, but it can contribute to the representation of multiple types of information when its activity is coordinated with that of others.
This approach can also enhance our understanding of the formats of information representation in memory, highlighting the difference between dynamic and static coding schemes. When applied to the study of connectivity between brain areas, this perspective can uncover new modalities of coordination between neurons, such as the formation or re-entry of information loops and their role as hubs of coordination between areas.
Host: Annalisa Buffo |  webex link

ARCHIVIO

Friday 24/10/2025  h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
PROGRESS REPORT Valentina Cerrato (Research Group Physiopathology of Neural Stem Cells)

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas maps cerebellar astrocyte diversity and uncovers the transcriptional code underlying their maturation trajectories

Astrocytes are increasingly recognized as key regulators of neural circuit development and function. However, these cells are not all the same: they display remarkable diversity across and within brain regions. Yet, the full extent of this diversity and its developmental mechanisms remain poorly understood.  
Using the cerebellum as a model, we combined multi-omic approaches, including single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, and revealed an unprecedented degree of transcriptional diversity within cerebellar astrocytes, identifying known astrocyte types and uncovering new subtypes with functional specialization. Among them, a small subpopulation showed enriched expression of genes involved in glutamatergic vesicular release, highlighting that astrocytic heterogeneity extends beyond molecular identity and translates into functional specialization with potential direct effects on neuronal signaling.
By integrating transcriptomic data across developmental stages with lineage tracing and gene regulatory network analyses, we reconstructed the maturation trajectories of cerebellar astrocytes and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results traced their origins to multiple embryonic niches and perinatal progenitor sources and revealed unexpected lineage relationships between astrocytes and neurons, suggesting that some astrocyte subtypes retain lineage-imprinted traits that will eventually influence their functions and interactions with the surrounding neuronal circuits.
Our work provides a high-resolution map of cerebellar astrocyte diversity and its ontogeny, establishing a framework to explore astrocyte heterogeneity in other brain regions and in disease contexts. Our team has developed consolidated expertise in single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses applicable to a wide range of neurobiological questions aimed at understanding brain physiology and pathophysiology.

Friday 18/7/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Webinar  
Salman Zubedat , Spatial Perception and Memory Lab, Department of Neuroscience, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel.
Large increase in dentate gyrus activity accompanies aggression in a resident-intruder task

Territoriality entails behaviors in which an individual claims and defends a spatially confined area from conspecifics. Our goal was to explore its neural foundations. We hypothesized that territoriality is supported by neural circuits linking memory and spatial representation, with the hippocampus playing a central role. To investigate this, we conducted calcium imaging of the dentate gyrus in the dorsal hippocampus during a resident-intruder paradigm. In this setup, a male ICR mouse expressing calcium indicators in the dentate gyrus was housed with a sterile female for 21 days to establish territoriality. Starting on day 21, the resident mouse was exposed to an intruder for 10-minute sessions over several days.
Initially, no notable changes were observed in behavior or neural activity. However, after 3-5 days, the number of active cells in the dentate gyrus increased by 3 to over 10 times the original level, coinciding with a shift from friendly to aggressive behavior. Interestingly, the aggressive behavior persisted even after the activity of the dentate gyrus subsided.
These findings suggest that significant plastic changes occur in the dentate gyrus following the introduction of an intruder, highlighting its capacity to dramatically alter its activity in response to pivotal experiences.
Host: Serena Bovetti  

Friday 11/7/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Dr. Michael Tsoory, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Detecting Sciatic nerve injury (SNI) induced motor impairments and recovery using the a home-cage monitoring system; a core facility unit user’s perspective

The talk focuses on experiments conducted using the DVC® system in our facility. It describes the validation processes and the development of a “data pipeline”. It will detail experiments aimed to assess the DVC® system’s capacity to detect changes in home cage activity that stem from induced motor impairments and recovering from them.
Laboratory rodent models of nerve injury rely heavily on repeated assessments of motor functions away from the home–cage, where the laboratory animals are often forced to walk to allow assessments of gait and stride, for example. Such assessments lead to substantial disturbance of the animals’ routine and cause them some discomfort that might mask the experimental manipulation effects. In addition, these evaluations are labor-intensive and require time-consuming post-hoc analyses.
Therefore, the described study sought a home-cage-based alternative and in a series of experiments assessed the DVC® system’s capacity to detect sciatic nerve injury-induced motor impairments and recovery dynamics as reflected by changes in voluntary, spontaneous, activity in the home cage.
The home – cage activity DVC® indices data indicate dynamics of recovery processes, reflected by “return to baseline levels”, that correspond to those indicated by stride and gait analyses. Additional discussion will address the advantages and challenges of monitoring home cage activity from a core facility user’s perspective. The lecture discusses in a critical manner issues of validity, reliability, scientific rigor and animal well fare.
Host: Letizia Marvaldi  

Friday 4/7/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
PROGRESS REPORT  Stefano Zucca  (Adult Neurogenesis Group)
Multisensory Integration of Social Cues in the ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

The ability to attract and reproduce with a suitable mate is a key driver of evolution. Mate selection depends on social interaction, and animals have evolved diverse behavioural strategies that rely on multimodal communication. Despite the importance of multisensory cues in courtship, the neural circuits responsible for integrating these signals remain poorly understood. In rodents, males use a combination of olfactory (e.g., pheromones) and acoustic (ultrasonic vocalizations, USVs) cues to court females. Recent studies show that female mice prefer USVs from unfamiliar males only when paired with sexual odors, suggesting cross-modal integration. However, where and how this sensory information converges in the brain remains unclear. We first confirmed through behavioural preference tests that female mice favor multimodal cues, but only within a social context. To explore the brain’s response to unimodal and multimodal stimuli, we conducted whole-brain analysis of immediate-early gene (IEG) expression, using tissue clearing and light-sheet microscopy. Our results revealed that sexual odors predominantly drive brain activation, with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) specifically responding to multisensory social cues. To further investigate vmPFC involvement, we used miniscope recording to perform one-photon functional imaging in awake animals. We found that vmPFC neurons respond to both unimodal and multimodal cues, with a distinct subset selectively activated by combined sensory inputs. By performing chemogenetic manipulation of vmPFC neurons, we are now investigating their causal role in shaping female preference for multisensory social stimuli. Together, these findings highlight the vmPFC as a key hub for integrating social cues from different modalities, suggesting its potential role in shaping mate preference.

Friday 20/6/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Daniela Ferrari , University of Milano-Bicocca – Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences
Investigational cell-based treatments using neural stem cells for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Cell-based strategies continue to be among the most promising avenues for developing effective experimental treatments for disorders of the central nervous system. Due to their remarkable functional adaptability, stem cells offer a wide range of therapeutic possibilities, including cell replacement, immune system modulation, anti-inflammatory actions, trophic support and toxicitybluntingeffects. In this context, I will provide an overview of our work and highlight key findings from both preclinical and clinical studies that have explored the therapeutic potential of neural stem cells, with a particular focus on their application in treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Host: Marina Boido 

SEMINAR CYCLE of the PhD in Neuroscience of Turin
Wednesday 18/6/2025 h. 11.00 am – Hybrid seminar  
Cornelius Gross , Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Rome
How does context and experience shape social fear circuits?

Exposure to predators or predator-like stimuli elicit powerful negative emotions and uncontrollable escape responses across animal species. Over the last decade we have dissected the brain circuits that mediate such innate threat responses in mice in order to learn more about human fear. We have identified the brain pathways that mediate innate responses to predators and shown that these are independent from those that mediate responses to social threats. We have recorded the responses of individual neurons while animals initiate escape from threat and have identified a local microcircuit that supports the escape decision.
More recently we have turned to studying the neural circuits supporting avoidance of social threats.
We have found that social hierarchy and social context can modulate the threshold for escape from social threats, showing that innate emotional behavior responses can be reshaped by experience. We are currently exploring how territoriality impacts social fear and aggression, and how our neurocircuit findings in the mouse may be relevant for human social behavior.
My talk will be preceded by a short overview of EMBL.
Host: Serena Bovetti 

Friday 13/6/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Webinar  
Paul Weiringa, Maastricht University,  MERLN –  Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine
The Peripheral Nervous System in Tissue Engineering: from Scaffold Design to Functional In Vitro Models

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) plays a critical role in tissue function, homeostasis and repair, making it a compelling yet underappreciated target for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This lecture outlines the fundamentals of peripheral nerve biology and its broader relevance beyond nerve repair, including its influence on the regeneration and pathology of other tissues. Emphasis is placed on biofabrication strategies for engineering PNS-relevant environments, including electrospinning and melt electrowriting (MEW) technologies for producing fibrous scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix. Challenges and advancements in generating controlled architectures, such as microchannel networks that replicate native tissue organization, will also be discussed. Highlighting work from our lab, the lecture will showcase the development of complex 3D in vitro models aimed at recreating functional tissue-nerve interfaces in different contexts. These integrated approaches aim to advance understanding of tissue innervation in health and disease while advancing the boundaries of biofabrication.
Host: Stefania Raimondo 

Friday 9/5/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Webinar  
António J. Salgado , Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3Bs PT Associated Lab, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
Stem Cells Secretome in Central Nervous System Regenerative Medicine: Insights from Pre-Clinical Models of Injury and degeneration

The low regeneration potential of the central nervous system (CNS) represents a challenge for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as a possible therapeutic tool for CNS disorders, namely due to the beneficial actions of their secretome. Indeed, the latter possesses a broad range of neuroregulatory factors that promote an increase in neurogenesis, inhibition of apoptosis/glial scar, immunomodulation, angiogenesis, neuronal and glial cell survival, as well as relevant neuroprotective actions into different pathophysiological contexts. Considering their protective action in lesioned sites, MSCs, and their secretome, might also improve the integration of local progenitor cells in neuroregeneration processes. In this sense their use could represent an important vehicle for the establishment of future CNS regenerative therapies. Previously we have shown that the administration of MSCs secretome in pre-clinical models of spinal cord injury (SCI) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) led to important motor and histological improvements. In order to further improve this, in the present talk we will discuss and present the outcomes of the combinatory use of MSCs secretome and biodegrable biomaterials, particularly self-assembling peptides, lypossomes and hydrogels in in vitro and in vivo models of SCI and PD.
Host: Stefania Raimondo 

Tuesday 6/5/2025 h. 11.00 am – Hybrid seminar  
Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, Unito
Main Hall (Aula Magna Neurologia), 1 piano, via Cherasco 15, Torino
Serenella Tolomeo ,  Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR
Neuroimaging in Psychiatry

Dr Tolomeo will present her research in the field of neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience and psychiatry. The implications for prevention, intervention and future directions.
Host: Alessandro Vercelli 

Tuesday 1/4/2025 h. 4.30 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Javier DeFelipe,  Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Madrid
Brain connectomics: exploring the connectome and synaptome

The principal goal in neuroanatomy is to define the detailed structural design of the nervous system. This challenge is one of the first steps towards understanding how neural circuits contribute to the functional organization of the nervous system, both in health and disease. The main difficulties involve unraveling the extraordinary complexity of the nervous system and to define how information flows through this finely organized synaptic network. Over the years, neuroanatomy has evolved considerably thanks to the use of classical techniques and the introduction of new procedures. The term “connectome” has recently been proposed to refer to the highly organized connection matrix of the human brain, in analogy to the human genome. However, defining how information flows through such a complex system represents so difficult a task that it would seem unlikely it could be achieved in the near future, or, for the most pessimistic, perhaps never. Circuit diagrams of the nervous system can be considered at different levels, although they are surely impossible to complete at the synaptic level. Even for a small mammal like the mouse it is impossible to fully reconstruct the brain at this level (we would need over 1.4 x 10 ⁹  sections to fully reconstruct just one mm ³  of tissue). Therefore, complete reconstructions of a small region of the mammalian brain are feasible, while structures like the cerebral cortex cannot be fully reconstructed. Despite the technical difficulties, by adopting appropriate strategies with the tools now available coupled with the development of huge international projects, it should be possible to make spectacular advances in unraveling brain organization, even in humans. Indeed, advances in our capacity to marry macro- and microscopic data may help establish a realistic statistical model that could describe connectivity at the ultrastructural level, the “synaptome”, giving us cause for optimism.
Host: Alessandro Vercelli

Friday 28/3/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Webi nar  
Maria Ludovica Sforza,  Laboratory of  Neural Epigenomics, Institute for Medical Physics and Micro-tissue Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany; Laboratory of Nuclear Architecture in Neural Plasticity and Aging, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany
Investigating the role of Nup153 in neuronal responsiveness and its link to cognition

Neurons respond dynamically to environmental stimuli through the expression of the so-called immediate early genes (IEGs). Accurate spatio-temporal activation and repression of IEGs is vital for encoding specificity of incoming information and critical for proper neuronal plasticity, impacting on learning and memory. Nuclear pore complex proteins (Nups) play critical roles in cell type-specific gene regulation by orchestrating lineage specification and maintenance of cellular state. However, their roles in the adult brain remain largely elusive, especially in post-mitotic neurons. We hypothesize that Nups play key roles in neuronal plasticity and cognition through gene regulation. To address the importance of Nups for cognition and memory, we conducted behaviour, histological and electrophysiological assays on Nup153 heterozygous mice, one of key Nups in gene regulation.
Host: Francesca Montarolo 

Friday 21/2/2025 h. 2.00 pm –  Hybrid seminar  
Katja Reinhard, Flexibility in Circuits & Behaviour Lab, SISSA – Trieste, Italy
The neural basis of context-dependent behaviour adaptation

Avoiding danger is one of the most essential and conserved sets of behaviours, observed in most species from crabs to primates. To optimize an animal’s survival, avoidance responses need to be fast and reliable, but also flexible and adaptable to the current context. However, how this flexibility in behavioural output is implemented in the brain is largely unknown. Furthermore, it is unclear how similar the precise circuits and mechanisms underlying a conserved behaviour are across contexts and species.

The goal of my lab is to identify how information about the environment and state can adapt behavioural decision making. We approach this by using a highly standardized behaviour assay where we compare innate reactions and neural circuit activity while changing selected contextual elements. By probing the same behaviours and circuits under different circumstances, we aim to identify principles of behavioural flexibility that are conserved across contexts and species as well as to reveal elements that are most likely to change. During this seminar, I will focus on the brain circuit architecture that allows for contextual information to shape innate behaviours and talk about how habitat differences have led to permanent changes in innate behaviours and specific underlying circuit nodes.
Host: Stefano Zucca

Friday 7/2/2025  h. 3.00 pm  – Webinar  
Roberta Piovesana, Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal – Groupe de Recherche sur la Signalisation Neurale et la Circuiterie, Université de Montréal, Canada
Novel role of endocannabinoid in neuromuscular junction structure and function

The peripheral nervous system has a remarkable ability to regenerate. Following nerve injury, different events happen at the axonal and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) level with the goal to generate an innervation-permissive environment. Several injury signals emerging from the injured axons and axon terminals have been identified to trigger the injury responses of Perisynaptic Schwann cells (PSCs), glial cells at the NMJ, essential for NMJ maintenance and repair. Although these NMJ-forming processes can be repeated, severe NMJ diseases can occur if a single step of NMJ formation is compromised. Thus, a better understanding of NMJ formation and maturation will help to understand both the regenerative processes that occur after nerve injury and how altered maturation leads to major defects.
Cannabinoids are frequently used in the treatment of neuropathic pain. However, despite evidence for their roles in the regulation of axonal guidance and synapse formation, their possible contribution in response to peripheral nerve injury remains unclear. In this webinar, we will explore the latest discovery on the glial Cannabinoid type 1 receptors at the NMJsfollowing nerve injury. Our results highlight a novel role of endocannabinoids in motor recovery, opening a possible therapeutic strategy for facilitating nerve repair or to address inadequate NMJ maintenance observed in motor neuron-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Host: Roberta Schellino

SEMINAR CYCLE of the PhD in Neuroscience of Turin
Thursday 30/1/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Paolo Malatesta, University of Genoa and IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Genoa
Tracing Clonal Evolution and Immune Evasion in Glioblastoma Progression

Human Glioblastoma remains a significant challenge in oncology research, with its early progression remaining notably elusive. In a recent study, we traced the clonal dynamics of glioblastoma evolution by co-introducing PDGFB and genetic barcodes into mouse brains, observing a sustained loss of clones during the transition to a malignant state—an effect tied to shifts in c-Myc expression levels and their downstream targets. We then extended our investigation of glioblastoma evolution by transplanting multiclonal, early- stage glioma cells into multiple immunodeficient NOD-SCID mice.
This approach allowed us to follow clonal behavior across serial transplants, revealing the acquisition of immune-evasive capabilities by early-stage glioma clones, which later proved able to initiate tertiary tumors in immunocompetent hosts. By combining barcode sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing of early-stage gliomas with bulk RNA sequencing of secondary and tertiary tumors, we examined both the clonal and transcriptomic makeup of these lesions.
Among the numerous clones present in the primary tumors, only a fraction persisted through subsequent passages. Moreover, the clonal configuration of secondary tumors originating from the same primary glioma demonstrated partial overlap, hinting at a degree of predetermination in the acquisition of immune-evasive features. Our intra- and inter-clonal transcriptomic analyses across different tumor stages illuminate how novel functional traits may arise in gliomas.
Ongoing exploration of these data will reveal whether such traits stem from the expansion of clones already harboring them, or if they emerge through functional shifts within the clones themselves. Overall, our findings reinforce the significance of clonal competition, underscoring the central role of immune-system interactions in shaping these competitive dynamics.
Host: Federico Luzzati 

SEMINAR CYCLE of the PhD in Neuroscience of Turin
Friday 31/1/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Benedikt Berninger , King’s College London, UK and University Medical Center Mainz, Germany
Engineering neurogenesis in the postnatal cerebral cortex by lineage reprogramming

Lineage reprogramming of glia into neurons emerges as an experimental strategy to regenerate neurons lost to disease. We explore the possibility of using proneural transcription factors and mutant variants thereof to convert cortical glia (astrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells) into induced neurons with subtype specific properties. For example, we could show that forced expression of a phospho-deficient form of achaete-scute complex like 1 (Ascl1), referred to as Ascl1SA6, together with the cell death regulator Bcl2 can promote the conversion of early postnatal astrocytes into induced neurons that feature hallmarks of fast-spiking parvalbumin-expression interneurons (Marichal et al., 2024).
Here, I will discuss how much we have learned about the transcriptional programmes underlying the conversion process, how much induced neurons resemble/differ from their endogenous counterparts, how we aim at closing the gap between induced and endogenous neurons, and to which induced neurons succeed to integrate into functional cortical circuits.
Host: Federico Luzzati 

Friday 17/1/2025 h. 2.00 pm – Hybrid seminar  
Salvatore Adinolfi , Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università di Torino
Frataxin: a biochemistry tale from molecular to pathophysiology of neurodegeneration

Frataxin, a highly conserved protein found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is required for efficient regulation of cellular iron homeostasis. Humans with a frataxin deficiency have the cardio- and neurodegenerative disorder Friedreich’s ataxia, commonly resulting from a GAA trinucleotide repeat expansion in the frataxin gene.
I will revisit the most significant milestones obtained with biochemical and biophysical approaches that have led us to our current understanding of frataxin and its functions. While frataxin function remains a point of controversy, a clearer picture emerges suggesting that frataxin is an essential element of the crucial Iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis pathway.
Host: Ferdinando Di Cunto