Correct brain function relies on the coordinated development and synchronized action of neurons. Over the years, numerous genes have been identified as key players in brain development and pathology. With advances in science and technology, new candidates continually emerge in this field, often drawing focus away from previously discovered genes and limiting further inquiry into their functions and associated pathways. Consequently, many critical studies that deepen our understanding of these established genes and uncover new aspects of their roles are overlooked. Additionally, several genes or pathways previously not linked to disease are now recognized as significant factors in brain dysfunction.

This Research Topic aims to shed new light on the cross-regulation of established disease-related signaling pathways and genes in brain development. We seek to provide a comprehensive and nuanced overview of recent discoveries that reveal novel functions of well-known genes in both health and disease. Subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:

- Cross-regulation mechanisms among established genes involved in brain development and disease

- Previously unrecognized roles of established genes in neurological and psychiatric disorders

- Gene-environment interactions impacting brain development and function

- Epigenetic and post-transcriptional regulation of established genes involved in neurodevelopment

- Translational implications of these genes in therapeutic development for brain disorders 

In vivo electroporation is a technique that allows for the transfection of specific neuronal progenitor pools in the developing embryo or during early postnatal stages. By combining plasmid DNA injection with the application of electric pulses, this method directs DNA to the targeted region, facilitating its entry into neural stem cells. This approach enables functional experiments by perturbing genes of interest and conducting cell-tracking studies using fluorescent proteins. The technique offers temporal flexibility to target neural stem cells in the subependymal zone (SEZ) niche either embryonically or postnatally, depending on the experiment. The SEZ is a key region in the lateral ventricle walls of adult mammals where neurogenesis continues, being the most significant germinal niche in rodents. In this protocol, we describe the procedures for performing genetic manipulations in utero and during the postnatal stage using electroporation for SEZ studies. 

El I Congreso Nacional de Innovación Docente en Anatomía, Histología y Biología Celular tiene como objetivo principal promover el intercambio de experiencias, buenas prácticas y resultados de investigación en el ámbito de la educación en estas disciplinas, fomentando la mejora continua de la docencia y el aprendizaje. El congreso tendrá lugar los días 19 y 20 de junio de 2025.

El congreso tendrá lugar en las modalidades on-line y presencial. La modalidad presencial se realizará en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Calle arzobispo Morcillo, 4. 28029. Madrid.

Desarrollo del Congreso:

El programa incluirá:

Conferencias magistrales a cargo de expertos nacionales.

Sesiones paralelas para ponencias orales.

Posibles talleres prácticos sobre innovación docente.

Espacios para el debate y la reflexión colectiva.

Se garantizará un espacio para la interacción entre los asistentes, fomentando el intercambio de ideas y la creación de redes de colaboración.

Publicación de artículos derivados del Congreso:

Los trabajos aceptados podrán ser desarrollados en un artículo que será publicado en volumen de artículos sobre innovación docente en anatomía, histología y biología celular con ISSN. 

Premios:

Se otorgarán premios a las mejores comunicaciones orales. Los ganadores recibirán un diploma acreditativo.

This is the second edition of the program, after a big success in the number of applicants and in the developmentof the program at its first edition.

The course will address the neurobiological bases of mental disorders from a global point of view to a more particular approach to each of the disorders. The different approaches used to study mental disorders, such as genetic studies, post-mortem human studies, animal models, in-life programs, and neuroimaging studies, will be addressed and their benefits and disadvantages analysed in a critical way.

This program will mainly have a basic character and its main objective is to bring the student closer to the triggering causes of mental illness from a biological point of view. However, the highlights of the clinical part and psychological treatment will also be addressed, in order to help students acquire a more complete vision.

Main topics addressed

Describe from ancient times to the present day the process of psychiatry as a science and scientific discipline. 

Address the genetic study of mental illnesses, mentioning the latest advances and how they have been reached. 

Indicate that possible neurodevelopmental alterations can trigger mental illnesses. Neurotransmitters and their role in disease.

Identify the environmental factors that condition mental illness. The main factors that affect human behavior and that can cause the triggering of mental illness will be detailed. 

Address the methodology of mental health research. The main aspects of research in different areas of mental illness will be introduced, such as genetics, animal models, care etc.

Describe the different mental illnesses and their causes, signs, and symptoms. 

Know the psychological therapies that are applied today. The main therapies currently being carried out for patients with psychiatric illnesses will be presented. 

The neurobiological bases of some specific biological and psychological processes will be analyzed and understood, basic clinical aspects will be addressed. These processes include eating, parental behavior and sexual differentiation, addictive behaviors, pain, neuroimmunology and neuroendocrinology, psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, sleep and its disorders, hearing, vision, and aging.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, the students will:

know the main genes involved in the development of psychiatric diseases, as well as the environmental and developmental causes, in order to become familiar with the techniques that allow the study of these factors and the methodology applied in each case;

be able to differentiate and categorize the different psychiatric disorders and their specific causes establishing a relationship between the cellular-histological-anatomical structure and function and the observed pathological consequences;

know the history of pharmacological/ psychiatric/ psychological treatments along with recent advances and future research directions in this field;

be able to work in teams and to distinguish important information in scientific papers related to neurobiology of mental disorders, for organizing the information and present it in groups to specialized audience.