Microglia, the main resident immune cells of the brain, can undergo major cellular and transcriptomic changes, a remarkable feature observed during development, aging and disease. Over the past decades, microglia were shown to have key and diverse roles in brain wiring and their dysfunction has been linked to the etiology of almost all brain disorders, from neurodevelopment to neurodegeneration. Thus, grasping how and when microglia shape circuits is important for both neurobiologists and clinicians. 
 

Our goal is to explore the contribution of microglia to early brain development, when these cells constitute a main glial population. Here, we will summarize published and unpublished work highlighting emerging roles of microglia in the developing brain, including a novel role in the maintenance of tissue integrity. We will discuss the implications for neurodevelopmental disorders and, more broadly, the interest of using normal development to decrypt the kaleidoscope of microglial activities and states.  

Those wishing to meet the speaker should contact Alonso Ortega Gurrola (Tosches Lab) 


The Columbia Neuroscience Seminar series is a collaborative effort of Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, 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.