Integrated Calendar

Abstract: Proper brain function depends on the intricate interface between neurons, astrocytes and the nearby blood vessels that supply then with oxygen and nutrients. Coupling between neuronal activity and local vascular responses represent both a fundamental physiological process and also underpins the mechanism behind BOLD-imaging techniques. We aim to systematically map the structure-function organization of this interface and use this knowledge as morphological framework to interpret neurovascular dynamics. At the system level, we find a puzzling lack of spatial organization between neuronal units of the lemniscal pathway and the surrounding vasculature. I will share these findings and describe our current efforts to map the neuro-vascular microcircuitry. To understand whether neurons wire with some preference into the vasculature, we started to simulate the expected “random" statistics for this morphological interface. In addition, I will share preliminary data showing a differential neuronal response to surgically induced hypo- and hyper-perfusion conditions; suggest a potential modulation role of systemic pressure on neuronal activity.

Two-dimensional materials such as graphene sheets can serve as excellent detectors for dark matter (DM) with couplings to electrons. The ionization energy of graphene is O(eV), making it sensitive to DM as light as an MeV, and the ejected electron may be detected without rescattering in the target, preserving directional information. I will describe the first experimental proposal for directional detection of MeV-GeV scale DM, which can be implemented in the PTOLEMY relic neutrino experiment and has comparable sensitivity to proposals using semiconductor targets. I will also describe some potential avenues for using gapless systems like Weyl semimetals to detect DM down to the keV limit for warm DM