Local Circuits: The Neuroscience of Social Connections

October 29, 2024, 1:00 - 6:30pm
 

Humans, like many other organisms, seem to be inherently wired to be social. How is social information processed in the brain? What can we learn about the neurobiology of social connections from other species? 

Social interactions play a critical role in our lives, as demonstrated by the mental health impacts we see when these connections are disrupted. Research across fields and animal models highlights the intricate relationship between genes, brain circuits, and experience as we navigate social environments — from maternal care and social touch, to aggression, isolation, and group dynamics. 

On October 29, everyone at Columbia is invited to explore the many ways we shape and are shaped by the social world at The Neuroscience of Social Connections, the Institute’s inaugural “Local Circuits” Affiliates Symposium. Join experts from across Columbia University, in psychology; psychiatry; biological sciences; ecology, evolution and environmental biology; and epidemiology, who will contribute diverse perspectives on this complex topic. 

The Zuckerman Institute’s Local Circuits talk series features our Affiliate Faculty program. This program brings together Columbia faculty to share their research of mind, brain and behavior, and fosters collaboration around cross-cutting themes. Positioned centrally at Manhattanville, the Zuckerman Institute provides a connection point between campuses and allows experts in different disciplines to come together in pursuit of a better understanding of the mind and brain.

As part of our ongoing efforts to highlight the work of the Institute's Affiliate Faculty across the University, the Zuckerman Institute also hosts Local Circuits seminars as part of our Tuesdays@10 lineup of talks and events. For more information on those, please click here.

All Columbia ID holders are welcome, registration is required. 

Agenda 

Opening remarks:

1:00 PM

Katrina Armstrong, MD, Interim President of Columbia University and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia University Irving Medical Center 

Speakers:

1:10 PM
Kevin Ochsner, PhD, Professor of Psychology
Neural systems for social perception, connection and networking

1:40 PM
Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, PhD, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Principal Investigator in the Zuckerman Institute
Neurobiology of social touch from mice to mole rats

2:10 PM
Kevin Bath, PhD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry), CUIMC
Impact of resource scarcity on the early care environment and later response to social stressors in mice

2:40 PM
Katherine Keyes, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health
Identifying causes and assessing interventions in the neuroscience of connection: When and why does sampling design matter?

3:10 PM
Coffee Break

3:35 PM
Trainee Data Blitz: 

Anna Vannucci, PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Tottenham Lab
The neuroscience of social connection during development

Jonathan Kasdin, PhD Student, Neurobiology and Behavior, Gadagkar Lab
Natural behavior is learned through dopamine-mediated ​reinforcement

John Andrew Chwe, PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Freeman Lab

The neural basis of first impressions

Pegah Kassraian, PhD, Associate Research Scientist, Zuckerman Institute, Siegelbaum Lab

The hippocampal CA2 region discriminates social threat from social safety

4:20 PM
Andrés Bendesky, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Principal Investigator in the Zuckerman Institute

Evolution of social preferences and aggressive behavior in Siamese fighting fish

4:50 PM
Meghan Meyer, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Keeping up with others’ perceptions of the Kardashians: Lonely individuals’ neural representations and language use deviate from the zeitgeist

5:20 PM
Closing Remarks and Cocktail Reception

Tuesdays@10 is a signature Zuckerman Institute initiative that aims to expose researchers at all levels to high-quality science and stimulate scientific discourse. The speakers featured in this series represent various fields and techniques in neuroscience, and include invited guests of the Columbia Neuroscience Seminars, the Zuckerman Institute's Local Circuits Affiliates Program, and other special seminar series through a combined, collaborative effort of one or more of the following: Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, the Center for Precision Psychiatry, the Department of Neuroscience, the Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior and the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, and with support from the Kavli Institute for Brain Science. 

More information and a full schedule can be found here.