Dr. Yadid (TAU):Organs-on-Chips || Prof. Adi-Japha (BIU):Human Procedural Memory

We will have two lectures (approx. 35-40 minutes each) in English. Light refreshments will be served before the first lecture.

Estimated schedule:
1800 refreshments at our conference hall (1st floor)
1830 First lecture
1920 Second lecture

First lecture:

Lecturer:
Moran Yadid, PhD
Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology
Tel-Aviv University

Title:
Heart-on-Chip Devices for Scientific Discoveries and Pharmacological Screening

Abstract:
Basic biology research and drug development rely heavily on simple in vitro assays in a dish, and on in vivo animal studies. These models do not recapitulate human physiology, thus have poor predictive value. Microphysiological systems and organs-on-chips promise to accelerate biomedical and pharmaceutical research by providing more authentic in vitro replicas of human tissues. We present a modular heart-on-chip system based on engineered human stem cell-derived cardiac muscle tissues that recapitulate the laminar structure of the native ventricle. This system primarily provides continuous functional readouts of contractile stress and beat rate of the engineered cardiac tissue. These readouts can be combined with simultaneous electrophysiological measurements such as membrane potential or calcium imaging. Additionally, these cardiac tissues can be coupled with endothelial barriers to mimic the interface with the blood vessel that nourishes the tissue. We demonstrate the use of this platform for disease modeling and for toxicology and drug-testing purposes.

Bio:
Moran Yadid, PhD in biomedical engineering from the Technion.
Postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard School of Engineering.
Research associate at Tel Aviv University.
Research scientist in Biomedical engineering, specialized in Organ-on-Chip systems, exosome biology and the cardiovascular system. Interested in the biological interface of hybrid biomaterials, exosome- mediated intercellular communication and Organ-on-Chip assays for physiology or disease modeling. Specifically, I am using Muscle-on-a-Chip assays with integrated electronics for monitoring or stimulating muscular tissues function and interested in studying the effects of exosomes on muscle bioenergetics.

Second lecture:

Lecturer:
Prof. Esther Adi-Japha
Head - Child Learning and Development Laboratory
Bar-Ilan University

Title:
Procedural memory consolidation processes: typical development, and atypical memory consolidation in developmental disabilities

Abstract:
There is a long-standing division in long-term memory research between hippocampus-dependent declarative memory and non-hippocampus dependent memory, as only the latter can be acquired and retrieved in the absence of normal hippocampal function. Encoding and retrieval of hippocampus-dependent memories (comprising memories for facts and events) require the hippocampus, whereas this is not the case for non-hippocampus-dependent memory, which is otherwise comprised of rather heterogeneous kinds of memory (motor skills, cue fear conditioning and so on). In this talk, I will describe forming long-term memories for motor skills, known to be acquired via the non- hippocampal procedural memory system. I will point to (a) child advantage and disadvantage in forming long-term motor and (b) pattern of acquiring motor skills in different developmental disabilities.

Bio:
https://education.biu.ac.il/japha
Esther Adi-Japha is an associate professor at the school of education, Bar-Ilan University, and heads the child development program. Adi-Japha’s research focuses on learning and memory, and in particular on forming long-term procedural memories. Adi-Japha studies memory formation in daycare, pre-school and primary school children, in typical and atypical development.