LIN Seminar: “The role of early brain processing on the auditory system of a mouse model of autism” by Liz McCullagh (Oklahoma State University)
September 12, 2024
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
SELE 4289
Calendar
Download iCal FileJoin us 9/12/24 at 4pm in SELE 4289 for a LIN Seminar featuring "The role of early brain processing on the auditory system of a mouse model of autism" by Dr. Liz McCullagh (Oklahoma State University)
Hosts: Angie Salles & Joe Zak
Abstract:
How are sounds located in the environment? Dr. McCullagh will talk about her past and current research on brainstem level sound processing in a genetic form of autism, FXS. Additionally, she will talk about new work in her lab using a comparative approach to understand hearing with two ears.
Sensory systems play an important role in integrating information from an animal’s environment to drive appropriate behavioral responses. Sensory systems are early to develop, setting up critical hardware for basic neural processing of environmental inputs. However, we know that despite early development and critical function, sensory systems can adapt and change over time (plasticity) based on genetics, social needs, environmental cues, degradation, injury, and other factors. The auditory system is one of the first sensory systems to fully develop in many animals and is critical for many types of interactions such as avoiding predators, finding mates, social communication, and basic survival. The process of locating a sound starts by integrating acoustic cues received by both ears which are then compared in the auditory brainstem of mammals. The auditory brainstem circuit has classically been treated as hardware that rarely gets updated or altered due to its essential task of locating sounds. However, work by Dr. McCullagh and others have shown that there is ongoing modulation of this circuit throughout life as well as variability in how the circuit has evolved based on an animal’s social needs, environment, life stage, and genetic status among other things. Specifically, the auditory brainstem can be used as a model circuit to study different factors that alter basic neural computations in the brain that lead to neural plasticity.
Dr. McCullagh is an assistant professor in the Integrative Biology department at Oklahoma State University where her research is focused on auditory processing specifically the sound localization circuit in the brain. She is funded by both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation which provide support for her research and her mentees.
Date posted
Feb 27, 2024
Date updated
Jul 11, 2024