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Professor Marcello Rosa (image: supplied)

Understanding the human visual system through the study of non-human primates

Hosted by: Professor John Bekkers

Abstract

Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are small South American monkeys which are being increasingly becoming adopted as animal models in neuroscience. Knowledge about the marmoset visual system has developed rapidly over the last decade. But what are the comparative advantages, and disadvantages involved in adopting this emerging model? In this talk I will present case studies where the simpler and more reproducible morphology of the marmoset brain, and the shorter developmental cycle of this species, have been key factors in facilitating fundamental discoveries about the anatomy and physiology of the visual system. Although no single species provides the “ideal” animal model for studies of the neural bases of sensorimotor processing and cognition, I argue that the development of robust methodologies for the study of the marmoset brain provides exciting opportunities to address long standing problems in systems and developmental neuroscience.

Biography

Professor Marcello Rosa is recognised for his contributions to understanding the link between brain structure and function. He has made discoveries about how the sense of vision is represented in the brain, how brain areas responsible for vision change following damage to the central nervous system, and how the brain has changed in evolution. He has devised computational approaches and open-science platforms that enabled new discoveries about the diversity of cellular structure and synaptic connectivity in different areas of the cerebral cortex. His work has expanded our understating of the micro-anatomical underpinnings of brain function.