Dynamics Club
Launched in 2022, Dynamics Club is a UCLA-based forum for junior scientists to discuss nonlinear dynamics in biology and physiology. Starting from 2024, this is also the home for the Interoception Dynamics Affinity Group.
Our monthly seminars are mostly on Zoom, with hybrid access to in-person events. Campus visits are made possible by the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology (IBP), Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCBio) and Brain Research Institute (BRI).
Currently, we have 340 members. If you’re new, sign up here!
Job opportunities:
- A postdoctoral position is available with Dr. Natalie Porat-Shliom at NIH/NCI (Microscopy)
- A postdoctoral position is available with Dr. Catera Wilder at UCSF (Details)
- A postdoctoral position is available with Dr. Paul François at Université de Montréal (Details)
Key References (PDFs are available online):
Modeling Life by Alan Garfinkel, Jane Shetsov and Yina Guo (Teaching Materials)
Dynamics Club in August:
Sleep microstructure organizes memory replay
Speaker: Wenbo Tang, PhD (Postodoctal Associate; Cornell University)
Date and Time: Aug 12 (Tuesday) at 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
Virtual event on Zoom (Meeting ID: 939 8110 0042; Passcode: 371949)
Abstract:
A significant challenge in both biological and artificial neural networks is preventing catastrophic forgetting, a phenomenon whereby the acquisition of new knowledge can interfere with previously stored memories. We proposed that sleep comprises specific cognitive states dedicated to these functions. Inspired by human studies, we employed pupillometry to monitor brain state dynamics concurrently with electrophysiology in mice engaged in various tasks. Our results demonstrated that memory processes related to both familiar and novel experiences did not occur uniformly during sleep; rather, they fluctuated between two sub-states characterized by contracted or dilated pupils on a minute timescale. This temporal differentiation may assist in mitigating catastrophic forgetting and indicates that non-invasive, pupillometry-guided brain modulation in humans could facilitate high-resolution control of cognitive processes.
Scheduled Sessions:
| Date | Topic | Speaker(s) |
| Aug 21 | Genetic and Molecular Strategies for Unraveling Sensory Circuit Development | Dr. David Chen (Temple University) |
| Sep | A mechanism for slow rhythms in coordinated pancreatic islet activity | Dr. Nicole Bruce (University of Tennessee) |
| Oct | Self-organized tissue mechanics underlie embryonic regulation | Dr. Paolo Caldarelli (Caltech) |
| Oct | Neurophysiological principles of reward | Dr. Annie Park (Oxford University) |
| 2025 | Robust and resource-optimal dynamic pattern formation of Min proteins in vivo | Michael Sandler (UCSD) |
| 2025 | Longitudinal monitoring of developmental plasticity in the mouse auditory cortex | Dr. Megan Kirchgessner (NYU) |
Past Events in 2025:
| Date | Topic | Speaker(s) | Materials |
| Jan 22 | Imaging cAMP Signaling Dynamics in the Heart: Exploring Sympathetic Responses in Real Time | Jessica Caldwell, PhD (UC Davis) | Pubmed |
| Feb 7 | State-Dependent Taste Modulation: Mechanisms of Sodium Appetite and Tolerance | Yameng Zhang (Oka Lab; Caltech) | Pubmed |
| Mar 5 | Cell signaling in “4D”: Dynamic p53 post-translational modifications regulate cell fate | Dan Lu, PhD (Harvard Medical School) | Pubmed |
| Mar 20 | Exploring the developmental roles of glia in the heart | Sarah Light, PhD (Notre Dame) | Pubmed |
| Apr 30 | Detecting patterns and disruptions in spontaneous physiological fluctuations in the kidney using MRI | Edwin Baldelomar, PhD (WashU) | Pubmed |
| May 7 | Sleep is for brain cleaning: investigating drivers of the glymphatic system | Natalie Hauglund, PhD (Oxford) | Pubmed |
| Jun 12 | Mechano-Electro-Chemical Coupling in Neuromodulation and Neuronal Injury | Casey Adam, DPhil (Purdue) | Link |
Past Events in 2024
Past Events in 2023
Past Events in 2022