Abstract

In this Zangwill seminar, I explore how the brain regulates emotion—what goes wrong in disorders like depression and ADHD , and how we can measure affective states across species with increasing precision. From mouse genetic models of attention deficits focused on the developing hippocampus to neural signatures of pain-induced depression, we uncover how emotional dysregulation takes shape at the molecular, cellular, and systems level. For example, we consider the affective consequences of chronic pain, where both human imaging and rodent studies reveal early hippocampal changes, including enhanced neurogenesis and microglial modulation, as potential contributors to depression. We also harness deep learning to decode facial expressions in animals, revealing moments of pleasure, fear, and altered states—and extend this work to humans by tracking how young children express emotion and curiosity in natural social settings. Combining genetics, neuroimaging, behavior, and AI, this talk offers a multi-layered perspective on “hot” cognition and its neural underpinnings, opening new doors for early detection and intervention in affective and developmental disorders.

Host: Prof Trevor Robbins (twr2@cam.ac.uk)

This talk will be recorded and uploaded to the Zangwill Club Youtube channel in due course.