24/03/2026
"Brain in a dish: unlocking the secrets of neural network formation"
Speaker: Federico Cremisi, PhD - Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa
EBRI SEMINAR - Thursday, April 2, 2026 - 1:00 PM
Biblioteca dell'Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL
Scuderie Vecchie di Villa Torlonia, Via L Spallanzani, 1/A - Roma
ABSTRACT:
The lab of Federico Cremisi is recently exploring how complex processes of brain development, such as cortical differentiation and neuronal network formation, can be reproduced in vitro using stem cell–derived models. He will highlight how manipulating signaling pathways and temporal cues enables the generation of distinct neuronal identities, including excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons. Using advanced tools like high-density microelectrode arrays, he demonstrated that functional neural networks with realistic activity patterns can emerge in 2D cultures in vitro. He will further show that specific cell compositions and connectivity between brain-region–like structures can recreate features of in vivo circuits, such as entorhinal-hippocampal interactions. Finally, Federico will propose that these in vitro neural systems can serve both as models for studying neurodevelopmental disorders and as biological platforms for computation.
