Neuroseminar: Mikkel Vestergaard

Department of Neuroscience, UCPH.

Title: Thermal and nociceptive processing in the central nervous system.

Abstract: The somatosensory system can detect a wide array of physical stimuli from the surroundings and the body itself. Thermal and nociceptive modalities are essential for survival since they not only allow us to perceive and interact with the world but are also central for maintaining physiological homeostasis and major determinants of affective and motivational state. Despite over a century of investigation, the circuit architecture and coding principles involved in thermal and nociceptive processing remain unclear. In this talk, I will present recent work on how thermal and nociceptive signals are encoded across neural circuits in the central nervous system. Further, I will explain the experimental approaches we use to elucidate the long-standing conundrum of how the brain generates pain perception.

Please join us prior to the talk for coffee and cookies.