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 345 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. 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:
Immunometabolism in the brain: How brain-resident macrophages regulate tissue homeostasis
Speaker: Drew Adler (MD-PhD Candidate; NYU)
Date and Time: August 26 (Wednesday) at 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
Virtual Event on Zoom (Meeting ID: 941 3047 4593; Passcode: 964790)
Abstract:
De novo protein synthesis is required for long-lasting synaptic plasticity and memory, but it comes with a great metabolic cost. In the mammalian brain, it remains unclear which cell types and biological mechanisms are critical for sensing and responding to increased metabolic demand. Here, we demonstrate that microglia, the resident macrophages of the brain, are required for metabolic coupling between endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons, which fuels protein synthesis in active neurons. Increasing metabolic demand via a motor task stimulates microglia to secrete the hypoxia-responsive protein CYR61, which increases glucose transporter expression in brain vasculature. Depleting microglia reduces training-induced metabolic fluxes and neuronal protein synthesis, which can be reproduced by blocking CYR61 signaling. Thus, we define a neuroimmune metabolic circuit that is required for on-demand protein synthesis in mouse motor cortex.
Scheduled Sessions:
| Date | Topic | Speaker(s) |
| Sep | Sleep deprivation on cerebral vasomotion and brain pulsations | Dr. Sara M. U. Larsen (University of Copenhagen) |
| 2026 | Neurophysiological principles of reward | Dr. Annie Park (Oxford University) |
| 2026 | How Neural Heterogeneity Controls Network Function | Dr. Megan Kirchgessner (NYU) |
Past Events in 2026:
| Date | Topic | Speaker(s) | Materials |
| Jan 20 | Microdomain Metabolism in Pacemaker Myocytes: The Ca2+ Clock Drives the ATP Clock | Dr. Manuel Munoz Camus (UC Davis) | Pubmed |
| Feb 13 | Pulsed stimuli enable p53 phase resetting to synchronize single cells and modulate cell fate | Dr. Harish Venkatachalapathy (UMN) | Pubmed |
| Mar 6 | Pulsed stimuli enable p53 phase resetting to synchronize single cells and modulate cell fate | Dr. Richard Gast (Scripps Research) | Pubmed |
| Apr 10 | LNE Seminar: Leveraging small but persistent differences for detection in human health | Benjamin Smarr, PhD (UCSD) | Pubmed |
| Jun 25 | Epinephrine oscillation enhances the alertness of target cells to stress | Dr. Mark Greenwood (Whitehead Institute) |
Past Events in 2025
Past Events in 2024
Past Events in 2023
Past Events in 2022