The Gordon M. Shepherd Lecture in Integrative Neuroscience: "Wiring Specificity of Neural Circuits."

Abstract: Developing brains use a limited number of cell-surface proteins to specify connection specificity of a much larger number of neurons and synapses. How is this feat achieved? How do different cell-surface proteins work together to assemble a functional circuit? To address these questions, I will first describe our work using the fly olfactory circuit as a model. I will then discuss functions of homologs of cell-surface proteins we identified in the fly olfactory circuits in determining wiring specificity of neural circuits in the mouse brain.