Max Planck Florida’s Neurotransmissions Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#21: The Neural Computation of Space, with Dr. Edvard Moser Nov 29, 2017

Show notes

"Where are we and where are we going?" Our sense of where we are in the world is one of the most fundamental cognitive elements of our day-to-day lives, and the discovery of our brain's internal system for mapping our physical location is one of the landmark achievements of modern neuroscience. In this episode we sit down Dr. Edvard Moser, one of the three recipients of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work discovering the neural computation of our brain's internal "GPS" system. We discuss the organization of this system, as well as many of the mysteries that remain unsolved in understanding the functional circuits involved in forming a neural representation of space.

#20: Live from Sunposium 2017: Part 1, The Value of Scientific Knowledge with Dr. Thomas Südhof Sep 29, 2017

Show notes

Live from West Palm Beach, it's Sunposium 2017! Here is Part 1 in a series of conversations we had at MPFI's Sunposium Conference, which is a biennial scientific meeting featuring talks from many renowned names in neuroscience. Misha and Joe sat down with Dr. Thomas Südhof, recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on synaptic vesicle trafficking, to discuss the importance of scientific research in society. Enjoy!

#19: SfN 2016: Part 4, Neural Circuits for Complex Behaviors Aug 28, 2017

Show notes

Our series of interviews from SfN 2016 concludes with a grand finale! Two fantastic researchers share their experiences studying neural circuits regulating important behaviors. First, Joe sits down with Dr. Annegret Falkner to discuss her amazing work on aggression circuits, as well as her thoughts on the current academic job market (she has since been hired as a faculty member in the Princeton Department of Neuroscience). Next, Misha talks to Dr. William Giardino from Stanford about his work on the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, and the relevance of this research for understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders. Enjoy!

#18: Smart cerebellums and career decisions with Dr. Kamran Khodakhah Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

We’ve heard that an injured cerebellum can make you uncoordinated, but can it also make you mean? Listen to an awesome and engaging interview where Misha, Ben, and first time host Audrey Bonnan learn how the cerebellum interacts with the the rest of the brain from Dr. Kamran Khodakhah, professor and chair in the Department of Neuroscience at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Khodakhah also shares some solid and insightful statistics and advice for career scientists.

#17: Science writing and life living with Dr. Brett Mensh Aug 04, 2017

Show notes

In this very special episode, we get to talk with emergency room physician, engineer, neuroscientist, scientific advisor, and person extraordinaire Brett Mensh. As a professional grant writing specialist, Dr. Mensh shares his insights on how to get your ideas funded and papers published by telling compelling stories. We also learn about his unique and diverse career history, and the path that brought him to be a highly successful scientific advisor. All this and more with two brand new co-hosts, Dr. He Zheng and Dr. Paul Evans!

#16: Metabolic Mayhem: Energy Homeostasis with Dr. Jens Bruning Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

Everything we do requires energy, so it's not surprising that our brains are wired to regulate how we acquire and use that energy for survival. In this episode, Joe is joined by Dr. Jens Bruning, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, Germany, to discuss how the brain regulates feeding behavior and energy use in the body. Dr. Bruning also describes the surprising ways in which our evolutionary history conflicts with our current lifestyles in a way that contributes to modern day health problems. After hearing this, you won't think about food the same way again!

#15: SfN 2016: Part 3, Sensory-motor Neural Circuits May 06, 2017

Show notes

Whether you're navigating through a forest, hunting prey, avoiding predators, or listening to a podcast in the gym, behaviors in the world require the coordination of both sensory and motor circuits in the brain. Part 3 in our series of interviews from the 2016 SfN meeting in San Diego gets into science sensory-motor integration. Joe sat down with two great auditory experts, David Schneider and Ross Williamson, who describe their postdoctoral research studying the circuits that govern hearing and motor control. Take a listen!

#14: Neocortex: Organizational and Functional Principles with Dr. Andreas Tolias Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

The neocortex is a hallmark of mammalian brain evolution, and the underlying principles that define cortical circuits have captured the attention of neuroscientists for decades. In this episode, we sit down with Andreas Tolias from Baylor College of Medicine to discuss how his lab is unraveling both the cellular organization of the neocortex, as well as the information processing power of cortical circuits. We also welcome first time host, Michael Yetman, to the show!

#13: SfN 2016: Part 2, Beyond the Bench: Exploring Science Careers Outside of the Lab Apr 14, 2017

Show notes

For the second installment of our on-the-floor recording from SfN, we find out about some lesser-known opportunities and careers available to PhDs. Misha talks to Dr. Sofia Jurgensen, senior scientist at Sanofi Genzyme and head of the SfN Training Committee about the volunteering opportunities available through the SfN committee system. We also hear from Dr. Lauren Ullrich, Health Program Specialist at NINDS, about her experience working in science advocacy and her current position at the NIH. Finally, Misha talks to Dr. Bridget Queenan, Associate Director of the UCSB Brain Initiative, about her efforts in creating interdisciplinary collaborations for neuroscientists. Tell your friends.

#12: CRISPR/Cas9: A gene editing revolution with Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier Mar 29, 2017

Show notes

In what has been hailed as the discovery of the century, Emmanuelle Charpentier and her colleagues unraveled the molecular machinery of bacterial immune systems and repurposed them into the powerful CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. Since 2012, CRISPR has taken the world by storm, transcending all branches of the biomedical and life sciences. Today, Dr. Charpentier shares the story behind this breakthrough with us, as well as the potential for CRISPR/Cas9 in therapies for diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegeneration.

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