CortexCast - A Neuroscience Podcast

How does the human eye transform waves of light into the vivid, detailed experience we call vision? In this episode of CortexCast, we follow photons on their journey from the moment they strike the retina to the point where visual signals begin to take shape. We explore the cascade of biochemical reactions triggered by molecules such as retinal and rhodopsin, the roles of rod and cone cells in night and colour vision, and the vulnerability of the central retina in age-related macular degeneration. We then turn to the networks of bipolar and horizontal cells, where visual information is funnelled, filtered, and sharpened into receptive fields — the brain’s earliest building blocks of images. Along the way, we uncover how a patch of neural tissue at the back of the eye becomes the gateway to our entire visual world.

In this episode, Katy interviews Björn Vahsen to discuss his ongoing research on Motor neurone disease using iPSCs to co-culture microglia and motor neurons.

In this episode with Professor Charlotte Stagg, we talk about non-invasive brain stimulation techniques used to understand how the brain adapts to new challenges in the recovery of motor function after stroke. https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/team/charlotte-stagg

We met with Dr Andrew Peters (a new PI) to discuss his career in neuroscience so far studying movement in the brain. By combining multiple modern techniques, Andy interrogates global circuits during motor learning and behaviour.

We discuss all-optical interrogation techniques and the mysterious claustrum. Paula Kaanders and Lukas Krone talk to Dr Adam Packer from the Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics about his work on all-optical interrogation techniques: a technology that enables him to read and write neural activity. Besides this, we talk about his recent interest in the claustrum, a brain region we know little about. Adam also discusses his career path and his advice to graduate students.

We discuss the Neuroscience of Pain perception Lukas Krone and Alex von Klemperer talk to Prof Irene Tracey of the Oxford Nuffield Clinical Neurosciences Department about her pioneering work studying chronic and acute pain through neuroimaging as well as some of her more recent projects on Aneasthetic depth. We also discuss how she approaches both being a scientist and taking on executive roles such as head of department and her life outside of science.

We discuss how the Brain processes vision. Holly Bridge from the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging discusses how the visual system works. We also talk about how visual processing is studied and what the brain does when sensory input from the eyes is disrupted. More information at www.cortexclub.com. Theme music is by Eves Blue.

We talk through what listeners can expect from future episodes of CortexCast. In this introductory episode Alex, Paula and Samuel explain the purpose of this new podcast series and how it came about. We also offer a sneak peek at some of the upcoming episodes.