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)
Interoception Dynamics in August:
Building the Blueprint of the Brain: Genetic and Molecular Strategies for Unraveling Sensory Circuit Development
Speaker: David YC Chen, PhD (Assistant Professor; Temple University)
Date and Time: Aug 21 (Thursday) at 11am Pacific Time / 2pm Eastern Time
Hybrid Event: Boyer Hall 554 and on Zoom (Meeting ID: 991 2570 8299; Passcode: 320880)
Abstract:
I am a developmental neurobiologist with a strong interest in understanding how functional neuronal circuits are built during development. My research focuses on sensory systems, which enable animals to detect environmental stimuli and drive appropriate behaviors. During development, sensory neurons adopt the correct cell fates and establish precise connections with their targets to form functional circuits. While much progress has been made in understanding sensory processing and behavior through the identification of sensory receptors and the manipulation of neuronal activity, relatively little is known about how diverse sensory neurons are specified and how they establish appropriate connections during development. A major limitation in studying these processes has been the lack of tools for manipulating neurons during development. In the first part of my seminar, I will introduce developmental genetic tools I have developed in Drosophila, which allows for cell-type-specific targeting of neurons from early development through adulthood. This toolkit offers a unique approach to uncovering the principles that developing neurons use to establish and maintain proper connectivity. In the second part, I will outline a practical and efficient framework that my future research group will use to investigate the molecular regulators driving the wiring of sensory circuits. This work aims to uncover fundamental principles of neuronal circuit development and provide new tools for understanding how the brain is built.
Scheduled Sessions:
| Date | Topic | Speaker(s) |
| 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 |
| Aug 12 | Sleep microstructure organizes memory replay | Wenbo Tang, PhD (Cornell) | Pubmed |
Past Events in 2024
Past Events in 2023
Past Events in 2022