June H. Myklebust: “How tumor cell genotypes shape the tumor microenvironment”
Abstract
Next generation sequencing tools have facilitated mapping of the genetic landscape in human cancers, and have revealed great heterogeneity even within recognized diagnostic groups. Similarly, recent advancements in single-cell RNA sequencing and high-dimensional imaging technologies are providing new insight into the tumor microenvironment composition and architecture. My lab is using these technologies to explore tumor clonal evolution and to identify mechanisms for immunosuppression and immune escape in B-cell lymphoma. One of our goals is to identify key genetic alterations in tumor cells that shape the tumor microenvironment of infiltrating immune cells. We use tumor samples from lymphoma patients included in multicenter clinical studies to address these questions. This will rely on successful multi-omics integration of datasets. Decision treatment algorithms to guide precision medicine including immunotherapy in the future will likely need to implement not only the tumor cell genetic alterations, but also the microenvironment architecture.
Professor Joel Glover: "Brain circuits controlling movement: Evolution, development and disease modeling"
Abstract
With the exception of the relatively new development of brain-machine interfaces, the only way we can communicate what we think and desire is through movement. All our actions, including gestures, facial expressions, speech, writing, music and of course translocation of our body in space, depend on coordinated impulse traffic in movement-related neural circuits in our brains and spinal cords that is ultimately channeled to our muscles. The complexity and precision of activity in these neural circuits is astounding - and even slight disruptions can lead to significant dysfunction, as in such diseases as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, not to mention more debilitating conditions such as stroke, ALS and spinal cord injury. We study the evolution, development and regeneration of motor circuits in animal models, and we model neurological diseases affecting the motor system in vitro using human iPS cell-based platforms. Here I will provide a brief overview of some of our studies, including the evolutionary compression of motor circuits in primitive chordates, the molecular dissection of genetic programs that specify movement-related neuron identities, the construction of motor circuits during embryonic development, the regeneration of circuit connections following spinal cord injury, and the modeling of human movement disorders in vitro.
For information on how to join the seminar, please email biotuesday@biotek.uio.no