The next scientific seminar in the series …where discovery science meets clinical medicine will take place on Friday, November 28 at 12:00 in the Prof. Zdzisław Kieturakis Auditorium at the Invasive Medicine Center, University Clinical Center (UCC).

The invited speakers will be Professor Jacek Jaworski, Ph.D., D.Sc., Head of the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, and Krzysztof Basiński, Ph.D., from the Division of Quality of Life Research, Medical University of Gdańsk.

Prof. Jaworski will discuss the neurobiology of mTOR, a serine/threonine protein kinase that integrates extracellular signals with cellular metabolic resources to regulate anabolic and catabolic processes. Beyond its well-known role in protein synthesis, mTOR has emerged as essential for nervous system development. His talk will provide an overview of molecular functions of mTOR beyond translation control and their relevance for neuronal development and function.

Dr. Basiński will then explore predictive processing in the auditory system, presenting empirical evidence that perception involves the brain using Bayesian inference to anticipate incoming stimuli. The focus will be on the human auditory system, including recent findings from his lab highlighting the role of sound harmonicity in predictive processing.

The speakers will present two topics:

• Neurobiology of mTOR – Professor Jacek Jaworski, Ph.D., D.Sc.
  mTOR is a serine/threonine protein kinase known to merge extracellular instructions with information about cellular metabolic resources and to regulate the rate of anabolic and catabolic processes accordingly. Over the last 20 years, mTOR has also been shown to be essential for nervous system development. Yet, for many years, most neuroscience-oriented research focused on its two molecular functions: the control of protein synthesis. During the seminar, Prof. Jaworski will present a brief overview of mTOR’s molecular functions beyond translation control, which are required for proper neuronal development and function.
• Predictive processing in the auditory system – Krzysztof Basiński, Ph.D.
  Many recent theories cast perception as a process in which the brain uses Bayesian inference to predict incoming stimuli. In this talk, Dr. Basiński will discuss empirical evidence supporting this view, with a focus on the human auditory system. He will present recent results from his lab showcasing the role of sound harmonicity in predictive processing.

The seminar will be conducted in English. Following the presentations, attendees are invited to refreshments—an excellent opportunity to network with researchers interested in future collaboration.

The seminar series was initiated by Dr. Aleksandra Rutkowska from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and the host of the event is Prof. Krzysztof Narkiewicz, Head of the Department of Hypertension and Diabetology at the Medical University of Gdańsk.