Prof. Pavle Andjus, PhD - CV

Full professor, Founder and head of Center for laser microscopy, Faculty of Biology University of Belgrade. Coordinated the first FP project in biomedicine in Serbia - FP6 project “NEUROIMAGE”, and now coordinates a H2020 MSCA RISE project “AUTOIGG” aiming to design a lab & optics-on-a-chip device using fluorescence signaling for the diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases. President of the Serbian Brain Council the member of the European Brain Council (EBC) and liaison of the National Councils to the EBC, European Society for Molecular Imaging Board member, Association of Italian and Serbian Scientists Steering committee member, Former president of the Biophysical Society of Serbia, Founding member of the Optical Society of Serbia, Member of University Graduate Studies Council; Founded PhD programmes in Biophotonics and Biophysics at the University of Belgrade; Expertise: neurobiophysics of ion channels and cellular mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases and use of advanced microscopy in bioimaging.

EGE BINGSS TOPIC : Biophysical effects of Immunoglobulin G in Amyotrophic laterla sclerosis – from basic studies to biomedical devices.

We will present the scientific and technical background, rationale and state of the art of the EC H2020 project AUTOIGG. The project consortium strives towards the production of an innovative automated multifunctional device for diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases, primarily amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), based on patient immunoglobulin G (IgG).
The background for the current project technology is inspired by the early experiments with ALS IgGs of Stanley Appel and Jozsef Engelhardt (e.g. PNAS 1991 88:647). Our studies with ALS IgGs comprised of diverse physiological phenomena in vitro: a) rise in frequency of postsynaptic currents (Andjus et al., 1996,1997); b) intracellular calcium mobilization in response to ALS IgGs on neurons and glia (Milošević et al.,2013); c) acute free radical release in a microglial cell line (Milošević et al., 2017); and d) increase in the mobility of acidic vesicles (mostly endosomes and lysosomes) in primary cortical astrocytes   (Stenovec et al., 2011).
Novel results with ALS IgGs will be presented demonstrating in vitro:  a) Fc-fragment dependence of the Ca2+ response in astrocytes, b) the physicochemical/metabolic alterations in astrocytes vs microglia upon ALS IgG – treatment (FTIR synchrotron light source), c) ultrastructural changes in astrocytes (SEM and AFM studies), and d) desynchronization of neuronal network activity.
Finally, we will present the rationale based on the above results of the project AUTOIGG and the state of the art of the microfluidic lab on a chip that aims towards better diagnostics and personalized patient stratification.

Prof. Yannis Missirlis, PhD

Professor Yannis Missirlis graduated as Chemical Engineer from the NTUA (Athens-1969), received a M.Sc in Chemical Engineering, (Syracuse-USA, 1971) and his Ph.D. from Rice University (Houston-1973) in Biomedical Engineering.

Prof. Missirlis was Assistant /Associate Professor at McMaster University (Canada,1974-1980) before joining the University of Patras in 1981, as a full Professor, directing since then the Laboratory of Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, until his retirement (1/9/2013).

Prof. Missirlis has served as Vice-Rector of the University (1986-1988), as a member of the European, and the World Council of Biomechanics.

He is an Honorary Member of European Society of Biomechanics, and of the ESB (Biomaterials).

He has coauthored a textbook: “Biomaterials, A Tantalus Experience”( Helsen-Missirlis, 2011), coedited 2 books: “ Modern aspects of  Protein Adsorption on Biomaterials” (Missirlis-Lemm, 1991) and “ The role of Platelets in Blood- Biomaterial Interactions” ( Missirlis-Wautier, 1993). 

He has published >90 peer-reviewed papers in international journals, several chapters in books, and currently is active in the area of cell-material interactions, mechanotransduction, tissue engineering, biomechanics from nano-to macro level.

EGE BINGSS TOPIC : Multiple modes of intra and inter cellular communications, including neurons.

In this talk “Multiple modes of intra and inter cellular communications, including neural cells” an attempt is made to register the spatio-temporal multitude of circulating effecting signals inside cells and among cells, in health and disease.

 Assist. Prof. Maria Veldhuizen, PhD - CV

EGE BINGSS TOPIC: Neuromodulation with transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, best practices and pitfalls

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has emerged over the past decade as a novel neuromodulation technique in basic, translational and clinical neuroscience research. By non-invasively stimulating the auricular branch of the vagus nerve in healthy humans, effects on neural processes and vagus efferent targets are sought. I will present a brief history of tVNS, review converging evidence for effects of long-term and acute stimulation, the hypothesized mechanisms behind tVNS, as well as best practices and pitfalls. I will present how we propose to use tVNS to modulate food reward learning in obesity. Lastly, I will present recent findings from my laboratory. We observed that tVNS in a hungry state decreases heart rate variability and wanting of a palatable drink, suggesting that tVNS may act on vagal afferent autonomic — but not metabolic output — in a similar way as food consumption does.

 Assist. Prof. Robert Ian Bowers, PhD - CV

EGE BINGSS TOPIC: Modelling systems of behaviour

I will introduce a behaviour systems approach to understanding what animals do. Behaviour systems theory began with Niko Tinbergen, circa 1940, who had viewed it as a means of bridging a nascent ethology with neurophysiology. This bridge burnt down to its piers under a firestorm of criticism. I will describe a few ways the bridge was rebuilt by others over the following decades, with attention to pressures from the recurrent and pernicious problem concerning the deceptively wide gap between descriptions of neural structures and functional descriptions of behaviour.

 Assist. Prof. Burcu Ayşen Ürgen, PhD - CV

EGE BINGSS TOPIC: Neuroimaging Methods for Understanding Human Brain Function

In this lecture, we will introduce theory and practice of the commonly used neuroimaging methods in cognitive neuroscience. We will talk about the type of research questions that can be addressed with each method as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method. We will also cover what each method has revealed about the human brain and cognition by providing examples from the literature. We will briefly introduce the state-of-the-art analytical techniques (e.g. machine learning, connectivity) that are used to analyze neuroimaging data. At the end, we will provide some practical tips to the newcomers about neuroimaging research.

 Assist. Prof. Ausaf Farooqui, PhD - CV

EGE BINGSS TOPIC: What psychology can learn from neurology?

In this lecture I will survey the very many ways in which cognitive psychology and neuroscience depend on findings from neurology. I will illustrate how some core concepts of these fields have been motivated by findings from brain damaged patients. I will then go through some conceptual debates that can be arbitrated by neurological findings. Lastly, I will go through how studying neurological patients is a key method of cognitive neuroscience.