Neuroscience roundtable will target
opioids, isolation, and research updates
By Missouri LSEN Staff
The Local Science Engagement Network continues its series of roundtable discussions with a panel focusing on developments in neuroscience at 3 p.m. Friday, March 26.
Participants can access the roundtable discussion on Facebook or YouTube. Viewers joining the roundtable are encouraged to post questions in the comments section. The LSEN is a function of the Missouri Science & Technology (MOST) Policy Initiative.
Panelists will include David Beversdorf, M.D., from the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Dr. Beversdorf is currently involved in research on autism, dementia, cognitive effects of stress, the cognitive neuroscience of problem-solving ability, and related fields.
Dr. Beversdorf is also a member of the Society for Neuroscience Government and Public Affairs Committee.
Previous roundtable panels focused on climate science and COVID-19 vaccination equity.
When it comes to neuroscience research and discussions, the conversation will certainly include a look at opioids and what the Department of Health and Human Services has called “an epidemic within a pandemic.”(See the MOST Policy Initiative Science Note on Opioids in Missouri here.)
Hannah Frye, a graduate student with the Moron Concepcion Lab at the Washington University School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, is one of the roundtable organizers and is especially interested in understanding how opioids affect the brain, memory, and learning.
From Frye’s bio for Moron Concepcion Lab:
A 2016 genome wide association study in human heroin users found that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding for an AMPA receptor auxiliary protein, cornichon homolog-3 (CNIH3), correlates with a protective effect against opioid dependence after drug use. My thesis aims to elucidate the biochemical, synaptic, and behavioral effects of CNIH3 in the hippocampus and the role it may play in drug-associated memory and learning.
The roundtable panel will discuss the macro level public health stories that continue to play out in daily headlines, but the group will also update developments and look at ways the research and discoveries are being put into practice.
Another topic planned for discussion is how social isolation — in this case, COVID- and school-related issues — is affecting cognitive development. (See the MOST Science Note on COVID-19, mental health, and substance abuse here.)
Overall brain health and our understanding of neurodegenerative conditions will also be front-and-center. That issue is especially important for an aging population that is faced with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and other conditions often associated with aging. The issue is also important for caretakers and loved ones.
The roundtable will aim to be an engaging session with interactive discussion about how research in Missouri can inform policy and legislative efforts. A primary focus is increasing awareness of what is going on in the science community and how to tell the story about vital research that might be in jeopardy of funding cuts or loss. The roundtable intends to emphasize the importance of all levels of research, from basic scientific research to clinical and translational research.
