Of Rodents, Monkeys and Men: How experience shapes brain and behavior   Prof. Dr. Katharina Braun (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany.) Chair: PhD. Francesca Cirulli (Dept. Of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rome, Italy.)

Whereas the basic wiring of the mammalian central nervous system is genetically programmed, its fine tuning throughout phases of infancy and childhood is highly dependent on experience. Experience during time windows of elevated synaptic plasticity ”imprints" templates of limbic circuits and determines their functional capacity throughout life. Although the impact of early environment on the development of behavior is known for centuries and although our insight into the molecular principles of brain development has increased exponentially in the past decade, these sets of knowledge have not yet been conceptually linked. Understanding the interplay between early experience and the neuron's molecular machinery will guide us to understand that early childhood presents itself as an investment opportunity for our society, and that it takes a well functioning family and educational system to grow a brain. Fotini Stylianopoulou: Effects of early manipulations on brain plasticity in rodents. Jörg Bock: Impact of pre- and postnatal stress on the establishment of limbic synaptic circuits. Steven J. Suomi: How gene and environment interactions shape biological and behavioral development in rhesus monkeys and other primates. Petra Hüppi: Endocrine Disruptors in Brain Development