Lectures and seminars Frontiers in Neural Circuits seminar series: with Andrea Gomez

Name: Frontiers in Neural Circuits seminar series: with Andrea Gomez
Start: 2026-10-01T11:00:00+0200
End: 2026-10-01T12:00:00+0200
Location: Campus Solna

01-10-2026 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Add to iCal

Campus Solna Ragnar Granit, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, Solna

Title: "RNA-encoded neural plasticity in the prefrontal cortex". October 1 at 11:00 in room Ragnar Granit, Biomedicum.

Andrea Gomez, University of California , Berkeley, USA. Photo: N/A

Speaker:

Andrea Gomez, University of California , Berkeley, USA.

Time: 1 October, 11:00–12:00

Location: Ragnar Granit lecture hall, Biomedicum (level 3)

Title: RNA-encoded neural plasticity in the prefrontal cortex

Abstract

Psychedelics act through the serotonergic system as potent neuromodulators, increasing neuroplasticity in humans and rodents and producing lasting changes in cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and social cognition that are thought to underlie their therapeutic effects. Yet the long-term molecular responses of specific neuron types remain unknown. Here we identify persistent, cell-type-specific changes in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) after a single psychedelic dose. Using deep RiboTag sequencing, we find that psychedelic-induced gene expression is largely unchanged and returns to baseline within days, whereas thousands of alternative splicing shifts persist for at least a month. These persistent events are enriched in mRNAs encoding synaptic, cell-adhesion, and RNA-binding proteins. Parvalbumin interneurons show the strongest alternative splicing responses, which accumulate over a month. An initial wave of splicing events in L2/3 pyramidal neurons declines by one month, while a delayed but rising response develops in L5 pyramidal neurons. These data indicate that psychedelic-induced splicing changes occur first in inhibitory and superficial excitatory layers and later in deep output layers, and are accompanied by synaptic and intrinsic physiological phenotypes that emerge sequentially over weeks. We propose an autoregulatory model in which alternative splicing of splicing factors and synaptic organizers alters isoform distributions without changes in transcript abundance. Our data suggest that these isoform distributions may encode information about prior stimuli and contribute to the enduring effects of psychedelics.