FRAXA Seminar Series
This virtual seminar series addresses a wide range of current topics in Fragile X research. Hosted by FRAXA and organized by Michael Tranfaglia, MD and Patricia Cogram, PhD, sessions feature outstanding speakers from universities and the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
Presentation Summary
Craig Erickson – Translational medicine and mechanistic studies of brain neurophysiology in Fragile X Syndrome: A NIH Center Overview
Ernest Pedapati – Network Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Pharmacology of Fragile X Syndrome in Humans
Devin Binder – Network Mechanisms of Neurophysiology and Behavior in mouse models of Fragile X Syndrome
Kimberly Huber – FMRP Regulation of local and long-range neocortical circuits in the mouse: Links with EEG phenotypes
About the Speakers
Craig A. Erickson, MD
Professor of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Craig Erickson is the director of the Cincinnati Fragile X Research and Treatment Center. Craig has devoted his career to improving treatment development in neurodevelopmental disorders with specific expertise and interest in Fragile X syndrome over the last 15+ years.
Ernest Pedapati, MD, MS, FAAP
Associate Professor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Dr. Pedapati is a federally funded researcher and the director of the Fragile X Gene Therapy program at Cincinnati Children’s. In addition to research, he is a psychiatric consultant for severe behavior in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Devin K. Binder, MD, PhD
Associate Professor in the Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside
Devin Binder’s research has focused in several areas:
Astrocytes and epilepsy. The Binder laboratory has discovered significant changes in key astrocyte molecules, notably aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and glutamate transporter-1 (GLT1) in animal models of epilepsy. Current research is aimed at understanding these astrocytic contributions to epileptogenesis and developing astrocyte-targeted therapeutic approaches.
Development of imaging and biomedical engineering approaches to brain and spinal cord edema. Together with bioengineering collaborators, the Binder laboratory has developed new methods for early diagnosis and treatment of brain and spinal cord edema after injury.
Development and application of novel neurophysiological techniques. The Binder laboratory has recently developed multielectrode array (MEA) technology for application to physiological studies of Fragile X syndrome (FXS) mutant mice and to localize the onset of epilepsy after brain trauma (posttraumatic epilepsy).
Kimberly M. Huber, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience and Southwestern Medical Foundation Scholar in Biomedical at UT Southwestern Medical Center
The Huber lab seeks to understand how genes linked with human neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Fragile X syndrome, affect synapse and circuit development and function. Goals of this research are to understand normal brain development and function, how this is affected in Fragile X Syndrome, and identify novel therapeutic targets for these disorders.
