The field of visual prosthetics has concentrated primarily on two targets for stimulation, the retina and the primary visual cortex. The lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, the relay station between these two areas, has been largely ignored because of the difficulty of surgical approach. The development of deep brain stimulation techniques for addressing pathologies of the midbrain has opened surgical access to the thalamus, and motivates a reconsideration of targets for visual prosthetics.
With this background, we have performed experiments in an animal model to demonstrate a proof of concept for a visual prosthesis based on thalamic microstimulation, followed by an experiment in a computer model to set basic engineering parameters for a thalamic visual prosthesis, in turn followed by a series of experiments with sighted humans to assess design performance. In this presentation we will review the compelling motivation for the thalamic approach, review the experimental results thus far, and provide a preview of future work.
Time:
12:00
Description:
John IOANNIDIS
Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine
Honorary Member of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
Title: "Improving reproducible research".
Friday, December 5th 2014 @ 12:00
Main Amphitheater [FORTH's bldg]
Host: T. Fotsis
Time:
16:00
Description:
Speaker
Ioannis Konidakis
Affiliation
IESL-FORTH
Title
Growth of functional materials inside Photonic Crystal Fibers:
towards the lab-in-a-fiber protocol
Location
Department of Physics Bldg., Voutes, 3rd floor Seminar Room
Time
16:00
Language
English
Abstract
In this talk results on the growth of glassy and crystalline materials inside photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) are reviewed, seeking specific
actuating and light confining properties. Initially, results refer to the infiltration of silver metaphosphate glasses inside silica PCFs,
and the subsequent thermal poling of those for inducing plasmon resonance transmission characteristics. On a different manner, the wet
chemistry growth and characterization of crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) layers inside PCFs is shown, while latest work on to the exploitation of those PCFs for developing sensing and actuating optofluidic devices
is presented.
Time:
16:00
Description:
Speaker
Kostas D. Housiadas
Affiliation
Department of Mathematics, University of the Aegean
Title
Modeling of non-colloidal suspensions using effective medium theories
Location
Department of Physics Bldg., Voutes, 3rd floor Seminar Room
Time
16:00
Language
English
Abstract
We present a model for the shear and elongational viscosities of non-colloidal suspensions with Newtonian matrix fluids. The model is based on the original idea first presented by Brinkman (1947) for the viscous force exerted by a flowing fluid on a dense swarm of spherical
particles. In particular, we consider an inertialess suspension in which the mean flow is driven by (a) a pressure difference and simultaneously the suspension is subject to simple shear or (b) to uniform uniaxial elongation. Assuming steady state, incompressibility and taking into account a resistance force which is generated due to
the presence of the particles in the flow, the three-dimensional governing equations for the mean flow around a single spherical
particle are solved analytically in both cases. In the first case, self-consistency of the model provides a relationship between the resistance parameter and the volume fraction of the solid phase. A volume averaging of the total stress gives expressions for the bulk (shear and elongational) viscosities of the suspension. These expressions reduce to the Einstein limit for dilute suspensions and agree well with empirical formulas from the literature in the
semi-dilute and concentrated regimes.
Time:
12:00 - 13:00
Location:
Room 7A-0.4, Post-Graduate Building, Medical School
Description:
The University of Crete Medical School
Graduate Program in Molecular Basis of Human Disease
SEMINAR
“Validation and interpretation of large scale molecular data: The case study of bone diseases”
Evangelia Ntzani, MD PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
DEPARTMENT OF HYGIENE AND EPIDEMIOLOGY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA Adj. Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES, POLICY AND PRACTICE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH-BROWN UNIVERSITY
Tuesday, December 16, 2014 @ 12.00-13.00 Room 7A-0.4, Post-Graduate Building, Medical School
Host: Joanna Moschandreas
Tel. 4536
Supported by the European Commission - funded program ‘Translational Potential’ (TransPOT).
Time:
12:30
Location:
Seminar Room 1 [FORTH's bldg]
Description:
George PATARGIAS
Biomedical Research Foundation
Academy of Athens
Title: "Computational Methods in Structural Biology".
Abstract
Dr George Patargias graduated from the Physics Department of the University of Crete in 2000. In 2004, he completed his PhD thesis on computational studies of membrane transport proteins at the Department of Biochemistry in the University of Oxford. He has done postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford, the University of Leeds and the University of South Florida using molecular modelling and computer simulations in structural studies of viral ion channels, enzymes and DNA-binding proteins. Currently, he is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens where he is involved in the study of protein activation using molecular dynamics simulations and the development of small-molecule inhibitors with rational drug design methods.