Movement is the substrate of all forms of animal behavior, and as such serves a critical role in brain function. Tom Jessell’s research has examined the mechanisms that control the diversification of nerve cells, as well as the formation and function of circuits that constrain limb movement in mammals. This lecture will first discuss the factors that regulate neuronal diversity and their clinical implications. Jessell will also provide examples of the way in which manipulation of the activity of neurons permits insight into the design of circuits involved in motor control.

Thomas M. Jessell, PhD is the Claire Tow Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, at Columbia University. Jessell is an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a fellow of the Royal Society of London, and a foreign member of the U.S. Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. He is also a co-director of the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, and a co-editor of the textbook Principles of Neural Science. His work has been recognized by numerous awards.

This talk is part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series, offered free to the public to enhance understanding of the biology of the mind and the complexity of human behavior. The lectures are hosted by Columbia’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.