报告题目（一）: The Brain in Space 

    报 告 人: Prof. Olaf Sporns（美国印第安纳大学） 

    报告时间: 2014年8月13日上午9:00点           

    报告地点：海洋之神8590vip自动化研究所智能化大厦三层第一会议室   

    报告摘要: Recent years have seen a rapid expansion of empirical and theoretical studies in connectomics – the emerging science of structural and functional brain networks. In this talk I will survey some of the recent advances and a few of the challenges for connectomics research, with an emphasis on human brain connectivity.  Of particular interest are studies that employ network science methods for analyzing and modeling connectivity patterns. These studies have shown the existence of highly connected hub regions that play crucial roles in brain communication and the integration of information. Future applications of brain modeling and computation for understanding brain function and dysfunction will also be discussed. Overall, the new field of connectomics offers a unique opportunity for building a theoretical understanding of the function of the human brain. 

　　Readings: 

• Sporns O (2011) Networks of the Brain. MIT Press, Cambridge.
• Sporns O (2014) Contributions and challenges for network models in cognitive neuroscience. Nature Neuroscience 17, 652-660.
• Van den Heuvel MP, Sporns O (2013) Network hubs in the human brain. Trends Cogn. Sci. 17, 683-696.
• Sporns O (2013) Network attributes for segregation and integration in the human brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 23, 162-171
• Bullmore ET, Sporns O (2012) The economy of brain network organization.  Nature Rev Neurosci 13, 336-349 

　　报告人简介: After receiving an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, Olaf Sporns earned a PhD in neuroscience at Rockefeller University and then conducted postdoctoral work at The Neurosciences Institute in New York and San Diego. Currently he is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington. His main research area is theoretical and computational neuroscience, with a focus on complex brain networks.  He has authored over 160 peer-reviewed publications as well as the recent books “Networks of the Brain” and “Discovering the Human Connectome”, both published by MIT Press. Sporns was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship in 2011 and elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2013.   

　　报告信息链接：http://www.brainnetome.org/en/news/447-olaf-20140813  

    报告题目（二）: Early Brain Development Study by Combining Imaging Measures and Behavioral Assessment 

    报 告 人: Prof. Wei Gao（美国北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校） 

    报告时间:2014年8月14日上午9:00             

    报告地点：海洋之神8590vip自动化研究所智能化大厦三层第一会议室    

    报告摘要: It is increasingly recognized that most mental disorders have their neurodevelopmental origins. Therefore, early identification of risk and subsequent timely intervention represents the most promising strategy to rectify abnormal growth trajectories with the final goal to prevent future disease onset or, at least, reduce symptom severity. As a result, better understanding of the mechanisms underlying early brain development represents an urgent endeavor to improve clinical practice. Particularly, neuroimaging based study holds great potential to develop effective biomarkers for early identification of risk. In this talk, I will highlight some of our combined imaging-behavior studies aiming for better understanding of both normal brain development mechanisms and abnormal growth trajectories due to genetic and/or environmental risks. The foremost important tool we use is the resting-state functional connectivity technique but studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) will also be briefly touched upon. 

　　报告人简介: Dr. Gao is a Tenure-track Assistant Professor at the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center in University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He currently directs the Functional Brain Imaging Lab (FBIL) at UNC and is primarily interested in the study of early brain development and normal/abnormal brain functioning mechanisms. Together with his colleagues, Dr. Gao has made a series of important findings and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals such as PNAS, Journal of Neuroscience, and Cerebral Cortex. Dr. Gao’s research is supported by the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness, and NIH R03, R21, and R01 grants.  

　　报告信息链接：http://www.brainnetome.org/en/news/449-wei-20140814