Sign Up
Log in Sign up

Christin Sander: From Signals to Synapses: Imaging Neuroreceptors with PET/MRI

Friday, September 27, 2024 11am to 12pm

I'm Interested
Christin Sander headshot
I'm Interested

About this Event

Pierce Hall, 209

29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a cutting-edge technology that enables unprecedented insights into the living brain by combining molecular and functional imaging. This multi-modal approach enables us to noninvasively explore neurotransmitter systems, linking receptor-specific data from PET to changes in brain activity observed with functional MRI. This talk will describe our whole-brain PET/MRI approach to study the dopamine system during pharmacological and other interventions. I will demonstrate how neurovascular coupling to receptors can be used to classify drug properties in vivo, and how biological and pharmacological models provide insight into receptor adaptations over time. Given dopamine’s significant role in drug reward, PET/MRI offers a unique window into the brains’ adaptations during drug-induced changes. I will discuss how we can dissect the functional effects of psychostimulant drugs over time and their differential effects on dopamine subtype receptors after repeated dopamine surges. Together, the insights gained from these studies underscore the potential of PET/MRI as a bridge between in vitro and in vivo translational studies and to transform our understanding of receptor dynamics in the living brain.

Event Details

Event Type

Colloquia / Seminar / Lecture

Academics

Applied Physics Bioengineering Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering

Series

Applied Physics and Applied Mechanics Colloquia

Audience

SEAS Community

Web Page Listing

Academic Areas Bioengineering Applied Physics Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering

Speaker 1

Christin Sander (HMS)

Speaker Bio

Dr. Christin Sander is an Assistant Professor at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center of Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is also an affiliate in Bioengineering at Harvard SEAS. Dr. Sander obtained her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and holds an MEng and MSc in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College and University College London.

          Dr. Sander is a recipient of the prestigious NIH DP1 Avenir Award as well as the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. She is engaged in leadership roles in international scientific communities, having co-chaired the World Molecular Imaging Conference and the BrainPET international meeting. Her distinctions include an Early Career Investigator Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Junior Fellow by the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Imaging and being named an Early Career Investigator by the Academy of Radiology Research.

          Dr. Sander’s lab focuses on imaging dopamine and other neuroreceptors during pharmacological challenges using simultaneous functional positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Her research employs preclinical, translational, and clinical approaches to explore the molecular dynamics of neurotransmission, particularly in relation to substance use and other brain disorders.

Host

AP/MSME Colloquium Series

Contact

Douglas Woodhouse

Email

douglas_woodhouse@harvard.edu

See Who Is Interested

0 people are interested in this event

I'm Interested
View stream
Join Stream