Speaker: Professor Elizabeth Angstmann
Affiliation: University of NSW
Abstract
University education has undergone major shifts over the past five years. COVID‑era disruptions have reduced student attendance, while the rise of AI tools has made it easier for students to outsource cognitive effort. These changes have contributed to greater isolation, declining wellbeing, and increased mental health concerns, leading to reduced engagement and poorer learning outcomes.Over the past decades, powerful tools, such as single-cell patch clamp recordings, multielectrode arrays, and optogenetics have transformed our ability to probe neural circuits at single-neuron resolution. These advances have revealed extraordinary detail — but they also come with critical limitations. Multielectrode arrays undersample complex three-dimensional networks. Optical voltage dyes bleach and fade. Optogenetic approaches require intense illumination that can perturb or damage delicate tissue, restricting long-term studies.
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Venue
Room: 305
