{"681880":{"#nid":"681880","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Sydney Popsuj","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoctor of Philosophy in Biology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESydney Popsuj\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWill defend her dissertation\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegulation of Motor Neuron Differentiation in the Tunicate Larva\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAPRIL 23, 2025\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E10-11AM\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHOWEY L3\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/my\/albertostolfi?pwd=WjQyZXVvd1B0V0NUNTFsUnZKUlN3Zz09\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/my\/albertostolfi?pwd=WjQyZXVvd1B0V0NUNTFsUnZKUlN3Zz09\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThesis Advisor:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlberto Stolfi, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShuyi Nie, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoseph Lachance, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPatrick McGrath, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBillie Swalla, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepartment of Biology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUniversity of Washington\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDissertation Summary:\u0026nbsp; In this work, I investigate the gene regulatory networks responsible for the differentiation of unique neuron subtypes in the \u003Cem\u003ECiona\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Elarval motor ganglion (MG), which functions as the organism\u2019s central pattern generator (CPG) with specific interest in the motor neurons.\u0026nbsp; I demonstrate transcription factor Ebf, is a terminal selector for cholinergic fate in a single dorsal hindbrain interneuron, Ascending Motor Ganglion Neuron 5 (AMG5), yet does not work as a terminal selector in the \u201ccore\u201d MG, where the primary motor neurons reside.\u0026nbsp; To further understand the regulation of cholinergic fate in the core MG, I tested the roles of conserved, motor neuron-enriched transcription factors Onecut, Neurogenin, and Lhx3\/4.\u0026nbsp; I also identified a crucial role for Ebf in the regulation of a deeply conserved pathway governing the alternative splicing of \u003Cem\u003EAgrin\u003C\/em\u003E for neuromuscular junction formation, which we also describe for the first time in a non-vertebrate organism.\u0026nbsp; Finally, I investigated the regulation of the specialized neuromuscular synapses formed by the Motor Neuron 1 (MN1) pair of neurons, which are primarily responsible for locomotion in \u003Cem\u003ECiona\u003C\/em\u003E larvae. More specifically, I revealed a role for the transcription factor Nkx6\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ein specifying MN1, and showed that the conserved Wnt pathway inhibitor Dkk3 is also required for MN1 neuromuscular synapse formation.\u0026nbsp; My work provides key insights into the development and evolution of cholinergic neurons involved in chordate locomotion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERegulation of Motor Neuron Differentiation in the Tunicate Larva\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Regulation of Motor Neuron Differentiation in the Tunicate Larva"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-04-17 18:53:37","changed_gmt":"2025-04-17 18:54:01","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2025-04-23T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2025-04-24T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2025-04-24T11:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2025-04-23 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2025-04-24 15:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2025-04-24 15:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"HOWEY L3","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}