March 11, 6PM EST: Schizophrenia and the Cytoskeleton<br><br>Speaker: Dr. Ryan Dosumu-Johnson, MD, PhD. The human brain is a true masterpiece, consisting of 86 billion brain cells. However, its real complexity lies in the synapses, which are the connections between these cells and are estimated to number 100 trillion. These connections encode our memories, innate responses, and reactions, as well as shape our perception and interpretation of the world. Disruptions in these connections have been proposed as the underlying mechanism for several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. A relatively understudied area that plays a crucial role in the strength of these connections are motile elements of the cytoskeleton called dynamic microtubules. In this talk, we show novel findings of dynamic microtubule dysfunction in a model of schizophrenia and how psychiatric medications may act on this aspect of the dynamic cytoskeleton.<br><br>For questions about the Brain Awareness Week at SUNY Empire, email <a class='link' href='#' onclick="sml('brainawareness','sunyempire','edu','[cd] - Brain Awareness Week - Schizophrenia and the Cytoskeleton'); return false;">Send email</a>.