*In this photo:* Dr. Dayan Knox from the University of Delaware presents at the first IHER Center Neuroscience Seminar. The next seminar, which will take place next Thursday, February 13, will be presented by Dr. Jeff Donlea, a neurobiologist from UCLA.

Research & Innovation

UCLA Neurobiologist to conduct seminar, February 13

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

The Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research Center at DSU invites all to attend the next installation in the Center’s 2025 Neuroscience Seminar Series.

Next Thursday’s upcoming seminar will presented by Dr. Jeff Donlea, an Associate Professor and neurobiologist at University of California, Los Angeles’s Geffen School of Medicine:

“Using flies to investigate basic functions of sleep”

2/13/25 – Location: Biology Auditorium, Luna Mishoe Science Center North 139

“Sleep is a physiological state that has been broadly conserved across evolution, but its fundamental biological functions remain poorly understood. The Donlea lab uses fruit flies as a model system to investigate the influence of sleep on synaptic organization in circuits across the brain. We have recently found that plasticity during sleep loss varies between neurotransmitter systems, but plastic trends remain consistent across brain regions. Complementary studies also explore the evolution of sleep across related fly species to examine selective pressures that might drive adaptation in sleep need.”

The series is hosted by Dr. Hakeem Lawal and Dr. Janeese Brownlow and is made possible through the Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research Center. The series features six talks presented by leading neuroscience experts from universities across the country, each exploring different topics at the forefront of neuroscience research. Click here to learn more.

Light refreshments to follow seminar. Event subject to Culture Credits – discuss with your instructor.