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SUMMARY:Evolution of Gene Regulatory Networks and Cognitive Abilities in H
 umans
DTSTART:20150206T141500
DTSTAMP:20260501T205809Z
UID:ca7532b7a6dd460fb052d855460fe89b33ad72f1442e3b21cee6e956
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Katja Nowick\, University of Leipzig (D)\nBIOENGINEERING
  SEMINARAbstract:\nCognitive abilities are among the most striking differe
 nces between humans and other primates. However\, the molecular changes th
 at gave rise to the evolution of uniquely human cognitive abilities are no
 t well understood. Cognitive skills are complex traits and as such determi
 ned by a combination of genetic and other factors. To gain insight into th
 e molecular basis of cognition it is thus important to study the networks 
 of genes involved in cognition and not individual genes. Transcription fac
 tor (TF) genes play a major role in cognitive functions\, presumably by re
 gulating the expression of many genes that set the stage for cognitive abi
 lities. By comparing expression patterns of genes in the prefrontal cortex
  of humans\, chimpanzees\, and rhesus macaques we discovered TF genes that
  have specifically changed on the human lineage. Moreover\, using a networ
 k approach we revealed potential evolutionary changes in the gene regulato
 ry network involving these changed TFs. Interestingly\, many of the human 
 specific network changes link TFs that have been associated with cognitive
  traits. I will further present preliminary results from our experimental 
 studies in primate cell lines\, in which we are testing our computationall
 y predicted network changes. We speculate that the human specific TF and n
 etwork changes have been involved in the evolution of human cognitive abil
 ities.Bio:\nDr. Nowick performed her doctoral work at the Max-Planck-Insti
 tute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Dr. Svante Pääbo’s lab on transc
 riptome evolution in primates and the functional characterization of FOXP2
 . She joint Dr. Lisa Stubbs lab at the Lawrence Livermore National Laborat
 ory for her postdoctoral work in 2006 to study the evolution of zinc finge
 r transcription factors in primates. The lab relocated in 2008 to the Univ
 ersity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2010 Dr. Nowick returned to Ger
 many\, to join the department of Dr. Hans Lehrach at the Max-Planck-Instit
 ute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin\, where she worked on the analysis of
  RUNX1 target genes and allelic differences in human ZNF genes. She receiv
 ed an Advanced Postdoc award from the Volkswagen Foundation that supports 
 her research group at the University Leipzig. She is an editor for the jou
 rnal Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE).
LOCATION:SV1717a http://map.epfl.ch/?room=sv1717a
STATUS:CANCELLED
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