Gene regulatory mechanisms in the launch process of T cell development
We’re honoured to welcome Dr. Ellen Rothenberg, Edward B. Lewis Professor of Biology at Caltech, for a special research seminar.
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Research Seminar: Towards scalable open-source platforms for large-scale neural and behavioral recording in freely behaving animals – Dr. Daniel Aharoni
SBME Research Seminar: Towards scalable open-source platforms for large-scale neural and behavioral recording in freely behaving animals – Dr. Daniel Aharoni</font color>
Location:
Lecture Theatre B1001, Gordon B. Shrum Building
Understanding how neural circuits encode, store, and retrieve information requires studying them in the context of natural behavior. Traditional imaging approaches have provided important insights but often rely on head-fixation, which constrains the behaviors that can be studied. Over the past decade, the open-source UCLA Miniscope Project has enabled cellular-resolution imaging in freely behaving animals and has become a resource adopted by more than a thousand laboratories worldwide. These systems now support long-term experiments, multi-region imaging, dual-color recording, and integration with behavioral tracking.
In this talk, I will describe the trajectory of this work, from the first open-source Miniscopes to the latest generation of platforms supporting wireless operation, large-scale data acquisition, and real-time closed-loop processing. I will discuss how coupling hardware development with computational pipelines and analysis frameworks lowers barriers for labs, promotes reproducibility, and accelerates discovery. Finally, I will highlight how access to these tools is allowing researchers to probe neural circuit dynamics underlying memory, learning, and disease across timescales ranging from seconds to months.
Dr. Daniel Aharoni’s Biography:
Dr. Daniel Aharoni applies engineering and physics principles to solve pressing challenges in neuroscience. He leads the UCLA Miniscope project, an open-source, head-mounted imaging platform now adopted by over 450 labs worldwide, to enable reliable recording of neural activity in freely behaving animals. His lab designs and implements accessible optical, electrical, and analytical tools that generate novel, high-quality data for both basic and translational research. By democratizing advanced instrumentation and bridging specialized tool development with real-world neuroscience needs, Dr. Aharoni’s work accelerates discoveries in brain function and neurological disease.