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SUMMARY:The Genetics of Person-specific fMRI Networks - Dr Aaron Alexander
 -Bloch
DTSTART:20250123T150000Z
DTEND:20250123T160000Z
UID:TALK226567@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:127564
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Variability in the spatial layout of human brain fun
 ctional networks on the anatomic cortex is an understudied phenotype\, par
 ticularly for imaging-genetic studies looking to understand the genetic ba
 sis of fMRI networks. Early results show that the individual-specific topo
 graphy of Person-specific Functional Networks (PFNs) is strongly associate
 d with domains of psychopathology and cognition\, including during the per
 iod of adolescence. PFNs capture individualized aspects of brain function 
 that have unique associations with clinical and developmental outcomes\, c
 ompared to standard fMRI approaches. Standard fMRI approaches measure acti
 vity in these same functional networks but fail to incorporate the variati
 on in functional network topography that exists among individuals. Targeti
 ng PFNs may accelerate the discovery of genetic contributions to the organ
 ization of brain function\, leading to mechanistic insights into genetic r
 isks for behavioral health conditions related to brain function. \n \nBio:
  Aaron Alexander-Bloch\, MPhil\, MD\, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the
  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania\, 
 where he serves as the Director of the Brain-Gene Development Lab.  He stu
 died philosophy at Harvard College\, then computational biology and neuros
 cience at the University of Cambridge. He completed his medical training a
 t UCLA followed by psychiatry residency at Yale. In the Brain-Gene Develop
 ment Lab\, Dr. Alexander-Bloch leads a multi-disciplinary team of computat
 ional scientists focused on the integration of brain imaging\, genomics an
 d clinical data to probe neurodevelopment and its disruption in mental ill
 ness. He works as an Attending Psychiatrist at the Penn First Episode Psyc
 hosis Clinic\, and he is co-Director for neuroscience education for the Pe
 nn Psychiatry Residency. He is the recipient of multiple awards and federa
 lly funded grants for his research\, including three active R01s as princi
 pal investigator through the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
LOCATION:Online
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