We are pleased to announce the commencement of the 2026 Fall Semester Seminar Series for the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence, Computer and Electrical Engineering. This weekly forum serves as a cornerstone for academic exchange, bringing together students, faculty, and industry experts to explore the frontiers of modern technology.
강사(Speaker): 노승언 교수 (Johns Hopkins University)
제목(Title): Molecular Mechanisms of Reopening Cortical Plasticity
일시(Date): 9월 3일 목요일, 오후 12시 | September 12, Thursday
장소(Venue): 뉴턴홀 310호ㅣNTH 310
발표언어(Language): 한국어
강의 초록: The brain is not fixed. During early life, brain circuits are highly flexible: they learn fromexperience, build useful connections, and remove or weaken less useful ones. As we become adults, these circuits become more stable. This stability is essential for preserving memories, skills, and reliable behavior, but it also means that the adult brain may become less able to recover when circuits are damaged, disrupted, or locked into unhealthy patterns.
In this lecture, I will introduce the concept of reopening plasticity, the idea that adult brain circuits can sometimes be shifted back into a more flexible state, allowing them to reorganize and adapt again. I will use the visual cortex as a clear example, because it has provided some of the strongest evidence for how experience shapes the brain during development and how this flexibility becomes restricted in adulthood.
A central theme will be the balance between excitation and inhibition, often called E-I balance. Brain circuits need excitatory signals that activate neurons, but they also need inhibitory signals that control timing, prevent runaway activity, and sharpen information processing. Too much stability can limit learning, while too much flexibility can make circuits noisy or unstable. Healthy brain function depends on keeping this balance within the right range.
I will also introduce Neuronal Pentraxin 2 (NPTX2), a key molecule studied in our lab. NPTX2 is produced by active neurons and helps strengthen specific communication between excitatory neurons and inhibitory neurons. In simple terms, it acts like a molecular bridge between brain activity and circuit balance. Our work suggests that changes in NPTX2 may help explain how adult cortical circuits become either stable or flexible, and how certain biological states may reopen a window for plasticity.
Overall, this lecture will use visual cortical plasticity as an entry point to discuss a broader question: how the adult brain regulates the balance between stability and flexibility. Understanding this balance may provide new ways to think about learning, recovery, and repair in the adult brain.
본 세미나는 오프라인으로 진행됩니다. 학부생, 대학원생, 교직원 누구나 참여 가능하니 많은 관심과 참여 바랍니다.
This seminar will be conducted offline. We welcome all undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff to join us. We look forward to your interest and active participation.
2026-2학기 AI컴퓨터전자공학대학원 첫 번째 세미나 강의를 소개합니다.
We are pleased to announce the commencement of the 2026 Fall Semester Seminar Series for the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence, Computer and Electrical Engineering. This weekly forum serves as a cornerstone for academic exchange, bringing together students, faculty, and industry experts to explore the frontiers of modern technology.
The brain is not fixed. During early life, brain circuits are highly flexible: they learn fromexperience, build useful connections, and remove or weaken less useful ones. As we become adults, these circuits become more stable. This stability is essential for preserving memories, skills, and reliable behavior, but it also means that the adult brain may become less able to recover when circuits are damaged, disrupted, or locked into unhealthy patterns.
In this lecture, I will introduce the concept of reopening plasticity, the idea that adult brain circuits can sometimes be shifted back into a more flexible state, allowing them to reorganize and adapt again. I will use the visual cortex as a clear example, because it has provided some of the strongest evidence for how experience shapes the brain during development and how this flexibility becomes restricted in adulthood.
A central theme will be the balance between excitation and inhibition, often called E-I balance. Brain circuits need excitatory signals that activate neurons, but they also need inhibitory signals that control timing, prevent runaway activity, and sharpen information processing. Too much stability can limit learning, while too much flexibility can make circuits noisy or unstable. Healthy brain function depends on keeping this balance within the right range.
I will also introduce Neuronal Pentraxin 2 (NPTX2), a key molecule studied in our lab. NPTX2 is produced by active neurons and helps strengthen specific communication between excitatory neurons and inhibitory neurons. In simple terms, it acts like a molecular bridge between brain activity and circuit balance. Our work suggests that changes in NPTX2 may help explain how adult cortical circuits become either stable or flexible, and how certain biological states may reopen a window for plasticity.
Overall, this lecture will use visual cortical plasticity as an entry point to discuss a broader question: how the adult brain regulates the balance between stability and flexibility. Understanding this balance may provide new ways to think about learning, recovery, and repair in the adult brain.
본 세미나는 오프라인으로 진행됩니다. 학부생, 대학원생, 교직원 누구나 참여 가능하니 많은 관심과 참여 바랍니다.
This seminar will be conducted offline. We welcome all undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff to join us. We look forward to your interest and active participation.