LEARNING SHORT - Mapping Structure, Function and Connectivity in Humans and NonHuman Primate Cerebral Cortex, feat. Dr. David Van Essen
Cerebral cortex is the dominant structure of the human brain and is largely responsible for what makes us unique as a species and as individuals. This lecture will discuss how recent advances in noninvasive imaging combined with invasive approaches in animal models are transforming our understanding of human brain structure, function, connectivity, evolution, and development. It will include an overview of basic principles of cortical organization and connectivity from studies of laboratory animals and analyses of individual variability in humans. It will highlight a new map ('parcellation') of human cerebral cortex based on data from the Human Connectome Project. Comparisons of cortical organization across species reveal valuable insights regarding what makes us uniquely human. Speaker Bio: David Van Essen is the Alumni Endowed Professor of Neurobiology at Washington University in St Louis. His laboratory uses collaboratively acquired neuroimaging and neuroanatomical data to study cortical structure, function, connectivity, development, and evolution in humans and nonhuman primates. A major emphasis is on developing and using methods for computerized brain mapping as well as neuroinformatics tools that facilitate data analysis and data sharing.