Director’s Welcomeand Neuroscience Overview Kimberley McAllister, Ph.D.Director, Center for Neuroscience

NEUROFESTDAY 2:Welcome

• Center for Neuroscience video• Background on challenges in mental health

research

2 short talks:• Dr. David Olson• Dr. John Gray

Student datablitz• 3 students, 3 min each

Interactive Booths: Gather Platform

NEUROFESTNeuroscience = the science of understanding how the brain works.

NEUROFEST

Depression

NEUROFESTPsychiatric illnesses affect 15-20% of the population world-wide

AutismToday, autism affects 1 in 54 children and 1 in 34 boys, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.

http://www.medgadget.com/archives

The RIPPLE EFFECT of mental illness

NEUROFEST

NEUROFEST

NEUROFESTWhat causes neurodevelopmental and

psychiatric disorders?

GenesNeurobehavioral

dysfunction

NEUROFESTMany psychiatric illnesses start early during brain development

Fetal, Infancyand Childhood

Puberty & Adolescence

Early Adulthood

Mid Adulthood Senescence

SynapseFormation

SynapseRefinement

& Elimination

SynapseMaintenance

SynapseNumber

Schizophrenia

Autism

NEUROFESTTreatments for some psychiatric disorders target neurotransmitter systems

NEUROFEST

Krueger & Bear (2011) Annu. Rev. Med

Approach to find new treatments for psychiatric illness

Disease model

Discovery-driven neuroscience research

Diseasepathophysiology

Human disease

Gene discovery

Novel therapeutics

Target ID & drug

development