Date: Thursday 20 March 2025

Time: 16:00 - 17:00

Location: Pieter de la Court Building, room SA.41
 

“Exploring the Human Connectome”

The human brain is a remarkably efficient communication network. At the cellular level, neurons transmit and integrate information via billions of dendrites, axons, and synapses. At the whole-brain macroscale, global brain systems and functional networks are interconnected through a complex web of long-range connections, which shape large-scale brain dynamics. The connectome refers to the complete wiring diagram of all neural interactions within the nervous system, forming the substrate for functional communication and neural integration.

The fields of connectomics and network neuroscience study the connectome using mathematical tools from graph theory and network science. Their united goal is to understand how brain connectivity shapes behavior and cognition, and how dysfunction in these connections may relate to mental and neurological disorders.

In this talk, we will explore the human connectome, discussing fundamental features of its topological organization and how network characteristics influence complex brain function. We will examine the interaction between structural and functional connectivity and draw comparisons to brain networks in other species. This will include a discussion of how general features of the connectome may underpin both shared and species-unique aspects of cognition and behavior, and how it may set apart our brain from those of other primates. Do we humans have a unique brain network with unique capabilities? How do fundamental principles of connectome organisation relate to human brain disorders?

This lecture is open to anyone who is interested, so please do forward this e-mail to others who might be interested. We hope to see you there!