Dr. Takashi Kitamura - "Geometrical pre-wiring facilitates grid modules and spatial navigation in medial entorhinal cortex"

                     Speaker | Takashi Kitamura, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and
                                        Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

                            Title | Geometrical pre-wiring facilitates grid modules and spatial navigation in medial
                                        entorhinal cortex

                           Date | Monday, September 18th, 2023

                           Time | 2:30 PM

 In-Person Location | CRL Auditorium, SickKids Research Institute, 686 Bay Steet, Toronto, ON

                           Host | Paul Frankland, PhD, FRSC, Senior Scientist, Neuroscience & Mental Health,
                                       Hospital for Sick Children; Professor, Department of Psychology, Department
                                       of Physiology, and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto

       Speaker Details | https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_jMYTlsAAAAJ&hl=en
                                        https://www.kitamuralab.org/

Short abstract:
The topographic arrangement of neurons in the mammalian brain is thought to facilitate sensory and motor function. The Medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) contains grid cells that map an animal's location. Grid cells are organized into distinct modules characterized by common firing features, called grid modules, which ensure a unique spatial representation. However, the neurobiological mechanisms for grid modules and their functional roles in spatial navigation and memory remain open questions. In my talk, I propose that a pre-wired anatomical arrangement in MEC provides a geometrical platform for grid module organization that facilitates spatial navigation and memory.