Assembly and Function of Inhibitory Neurons in Health and Disease

The structural organization of neural circuits largely determines the functional dynamics of neural networks in animal behavior. In the central nervous system, neuronal networks encompass two major classes of neurons, excitatory neurons that use mainly Glutamate as neurotransmitter and inhibitory neurons that mediate their neurotransmission by GABA and Glycine. Different studies have demonstrated the remarkable diversity of inhibitory neurons and their influence in the network by increasing the computation power of neighboring neurons. More important, in the last years, multiple lines of evidence have linked GABA dysfunction to psychiatric and neurological disorders from Autistic spectrum disorders, Intellectual Disability, Schizophrenia, Epilepsy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis to Alzheimer diseases. Therefore, a better understanding of the finest details in GABAergic function is not only a major scientific challenge, but also has important implications for understanding the pathophysiology behind these disorders. Our goal with this conference is to increase our knowledge on the molecular, cellular and network mechanisms playing a role on inhibition in brain function and dysfunction. To achieve that, the conference will aim to disseminate the cutting-edge discoveries in the field, to increase networking and scientific interactions among different researchers at different career stages and with different scientific questions and background. The conference will pay particular attention to promoting diversity and supporting young researchers.