Open seminar with Professor Gerd Kempermann (TU Dresden, Tyskland).
Titel: The neurobiology of individuality. Aula Biologica, Biologihuset, Umeå Universitet (https://link.mazemap.com/WEsu2M3N) No registration needed!
Gerd Kempermann is professor in “Genomics of Regeneration” at Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), DFG Research Center and Excellence Cluster.
Areas of investigation/research focus: New neurons for old brains Adult neurogenesis, that is the generation of new neurons in the adult brain, is increasingly recognized as a key aspect of structural plasticity. A population of stem cells that persists throughout life is the origin of neuronal development in the otherwise “non-neurogenic” brain. Specifically, new neurons are added to the network of the hippocampus, the “gateway to memory,” dependent on activity and experience. They add flexibility to the network, especially if new information has to be integrated into familiar context, a function that is often lost in neurodegeneration, dementia and depression. At least in animals, physical and cognitive activity counteract the age-related loss of adult neurogenesis and build what we have called a “neurogenic reserve”.
Freund J, Brandmaier AM, Lewejohann L, Kirste I, Kritzler M, Krüger A, Sachser N, Lindenberger U, Kempermann G. Emergence of individuality in genetically identical mice. Science. 2013 May 10;340(6133):756-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1235294. PMID: 23661762.
