Upcoming Seminar: Prof. Carmen Falcone

We are excited to host Prof. Carmen Falcone (Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University) for our Wednesday seminar series on July 29, 2026.

Prof. Falcone's research explores astrocyte diversity in the context of brain evolution and disease, with a particular focus on specialized astrocyte populations. In her lab's recent study published in Science Advances (Ciani et al., 2026), the team showed that varicose projection astrocytes represent a conserved reactive astrocyte phenotype associated with neuroinflammation, challenging the long-held view that these cells are unique to humans and great apes.

In upcoming talk, titled "Varicose Projection Astrocytes: From Evolution to Disease" Prof. Falcone will discuss how comparative studies across species are reshaping our understanding of varicose projection astrocytes and their potential roles in brain function and neurological disease. The seminar will offer new perspectives on astrocyte diversity and the evolutionary and pathological significance of specialized astrocyte populations.

We look forward to an engaging discussion on this exciting area of astrocyte research !