Colloquia/Seminars
Time: 11:00am, Nov. 26, 2024
Venue: Lecture Hall, Shanghai Brain Center
Speaker: Dr. Takafumi Minamimoto
Leader, Research Group for Systems and Neural Circuits,
Deputy Director, Advanced Neuroimaging Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology,JAPAN
Biography:
Takafumi Minamimoto received his PhD in Neuroscience from Osaka University in 2002 and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in 2008 at the National Institutes of Health, USA. He then joined the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in 2008, where he currently serves as Leader of the Systems and Neural Circuit Group at the Department of Functional Brain Imaging. His primary research interests include neural mechanism of motivation, emotion and decision-making. He is one of the pioneers in applying chemogenetic techniques to nonhuman primates. He has successfully combined this technique with PET imaging to visualize and manipulate specific neural circuits, opening up new directions in understanding primate brain function.
Abstract:
Nonhuman primates (NHPs), particularly macaques and marmosets, are invaluable models for understanding complex brain functions and behaviors. Despite their significance, tools for precise genetic neuromodulation in NHPs remain limited, hindering our ability to study brain networks in detail. To address this challenge, our team has been investigating the use of chemogenetic techniques, specifically Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), in NHP models. DREADDs offer a novel approach to selectively and reversibly control neuronal activity in specific populations through the administration of an agonist. By integrating DREADD technology with advanced PET and MR imaging, we have developed a robust platform that allows for both visualization and manipulation of targeted brain circuits, as well as the monitoring of changes in network activity. This cutting-edge method opens up new opportunities for unraveling the intricate relationships between primate brain circuits and behavior, with potential implications for therapeutic innovations. In this talk, I will highlight our groundbreaking imaging-guided chemogenetic techniques and share new findings on the roles of prefrontal-subcortical circuits in primates.