Neuroscientist Dr. Kelly Lambert's Colloquium #2, "Wild Brains"

Friday, February 7, 2025 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM EST
Horizon Hall, 3012

Wild Brains: Looking Beyond Laboratory Rodents for Adaptive Neural Strategies that Translate from the Bush to Bedside

Most mental health research is conducted on laboratory rats and mice.  in this talk, the limitations of focusing on a few selectively-bred species housed in stripped-down laboratory cages will be discussed.  As a researcher who uses animal models, I have examined these limitations in my own research and, consequently, have commenced an exciting journey exploring diverse brains in natural habitats.  Research comparing wild-trapped rats and laboratory-bred rats of the same species indicates vast neural differences between captive and wild populations.  Although rodents are representative of mammalian brains, fascinating species-specific differences exist among mammals that will inform perspectives of healthy brain functions.  my lab's investigations of raccoons, for example, suggest that their brains have similar neural patterns as primate brains - maybe that's why they're always breaking into our garbage bins despite our clever locking systems.  Focusing on a unique primate model, recent investigations of the world's smallest primate (i.e., mouse lemurs in Madagascar) are leading to insights about neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease.  Indeed, there is much to be learned from examining diverse mammalian brains.