Name: Mini Brains, Big Questions
Start: 2026-05-18T18:30:00
End: 2026-05-18T21:00:00
Location: Vintage Bar

From tiny lab-grown organoids to real-time recordings of brain activity, this evening explores how scientists are building powerful new ways to study the brain and human disease. Discover how adult cells can be reprogrammed to form miniature organs in a dish, and how advanced tools like Neuropixels let researchers listen in on the activity of neurons in living brains. A night about addiction, brain science, and the remarkable technologies changing how we study ourselves.

Honey, I Shrunk the Brain! The Science Behind Mini Organs in a Dish

Lazarov Lab (UIC)

This talk explores how scientists can reprogram adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), essentially giving them “amnesia” so they can become any cell type. These cells can then self-organize into organoids: tiny, simplified versions of organs like the brain or gut grown in a lab. Organoids help researchers study diseases, test drugs, and move toward personalized medicine. The talk also touches on ethical questions and what this technology could mean for the future of human health.

Hooked: The Neuroscience of Addiction

Lujan Lab (UIC)

Join the Lujan Lab for an introduction to substance use disorders and the cutting-edge tools used to study them. We will explore Neuropixels, advanced probes that allow researchers to record neuronal activity in real time, and discuss how these technologies are applied in mouse models.

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