Scientific Research

Neuromodulatory Adaptation and Plasticity in Changing Environments

May 14, 2025

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM EDT

Join speakers Jan Siemens, PhD, and Kavli Prize Laureate Eve Marder, PhD, for the second session of a collaborative series by the Society for Neuroscience and The Kavli Foundation. Moderated by Laura Duvall, PhD, this webinar will explore mechanisms by which nervous systems in both warm and cold-blooded organisms acclimate to temperature extremes, offering insights into neuromodulatory adaptation and plasticity across species with drastically different nervous system organizations. Presentations and discussions will highlight recent advances in the field, shedding light onto mechanisms of neural adaptation in changing environments.

Speakers

Eve Marder, PhD

Eve Marder, PhD, is the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield University Professor at Brandeis University and past president of the Society for Neuroscience (2008). Marder earned a BA from Brandeis University in 1969 and her PhD from UCSD in 1974. Marder conducted her postdoc at the University of Oregon and Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France and has been a faculty member at Brandies since 1978. She is a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and American Philosophical Society, has won the Gruber Prize, Kavli Prize, NAS Neuroscience Prize, and Gerard Prize, and holds honorary doctorates from Bowdoin College, Princeton University, Tel Aviv University, and Universite de Liege. Marder was instrumental in demonstrating that neuronal circuits are not “hard-wired” but can be reconfigured by neuromodulatory neurons and substances, and in developing the dynamic clamp and models of intrinsic homeostasis.

Jan-Erik Siemens, PhD

Jan Siemens, PhD, is a neuroscientist specializing in thermoregulation and sensory neuroscience. A professor at Heidelberg University in Germany and group leader at the Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (EMBL), he previously held research positions at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin and UCSF, where he worked with Nobel Laureate David Julius. His early research contributed to identifying the tip link in auditory hair cells, essential for sound perception. He later shifted focus to thermal sensation, studying TRP ion channels and their role in temperature detection and pain modulation. His work on hypothalamic thermoregulation has provided new insights into how internal thermal sensors regulate body temperature. More recently, his research identified a neuronal plasticity mechanism that helps mice develop heat tolerance over time, shedding light on how organisms adapt to long-term thermal challenges. His studies continue to advance our understanding of the nervous system’s response to environmental changes.

Who can attend this webinar? This webinar will be complimentary.

Will this webinar be available on demand? Yes, this webinar will be available on demand one week from the live broadcast.

Will a certificate of attendance be offered for this event? No, SfN does not provide certificates of attendance for webinars.

How do I access the conference on the live day? After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the event link and the option to download calendar reminders.

What are the technology requirements for attending? This webinar will be hosted on Zoom Webinar. Instructions for joining and participating in a webinar can be found here.

Can I ask the presenters questions? Yes! You can submit any questions before the webinar through the registration form. During the webinar, you can submit questions through the Q&A box.

I have other questions not answered here. Email digitallearning@sfn.org with any other questions.

Review SfN’s Code of Conduct, rules for virtual events in the Digital Learning Community Guidelines, and communications policies regarding dissemination of unpublished scientific data, listed below. SfN asks that conference attendees respect the sensitivity of information and data being presented that are not yet available to the public by following these guidelines:

Do not capture or publicly share details of any unpublished data presented.
If you are unsure whether data is unpublished, check with the presenter.
Respect presenters' wishes if they indicate that the information presented is not to be shared.

Neuromodulatory Adaptation and Plasticity in Changing Environments

Speakers

More in Scientific Research

Follow SfN