Student-run speaker series: James Burkett

On Friday September 8th at 17:00, the student-run speaker series "A spotlight on cooperation" will feature a lecture by James Burkett, University of Toledo, USA.

His presentation, entitled "Rodent empathy as an outcome for models of neurodevelopmental disorders" will be held at the BCCN Lecture Hall, Philippstraße 12, Haus 6.

The seminar will be preceded by a reception with coffee and some snacks at 16:30.

If you plan on joining the seminar, please register using the following form.

Abstract: Empathy is a set of related capacities which are fundamental to normal human social interaction and the maintenance of social relationships. Evidence now suggests that, rather than being uniquely human, these empathy-related capacities evolved from similar or congruent capacities in animals, and have analogous psychological and biological mechanisms. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) display an empathy-based consoling behavior that is dependent on oxytocin signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here Dr. Burkett will show evidence of a population of neurons in ACC that are activated by both personal and vicarious distress, have distinct molecular and electrophysiological properties, and predict aspects of empathy-related behavior. One application of empathy-related behavioral assays is to evaluate animal models of autism. Here Dr. Burkett will present data on a prairie vole model of environmental exposure to deltamethrin, a pyrethroid pesticide. Exposure in pregnant and lactating dams to levels of deltamethrin considered safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency causes an autism-relevant phenotype in the offspring, including increased repetitive behaviors, decreased vocalizations, decreased consoling behaviors, and learning deficits. His results show neurobiological mechanisms of empathy-related behaviors that are shared between rodents and humans, and which are disrupted by autism-related environmental exposures.

Here you can find information about the next appointments!