The discovery of grid cells in the entorhinal cortex and place cells in the hippocampus, for which the Nobel Prize was awarded in 2014, was a major advance in our understanding of how information from the environment is conveyed to the hippocampus by characteristic activity patterns. These activity patterns involve distinct neuronal types, neuronal circuits, and synapses, which are undergoing intensive study in the hope of unveiling the specifics of the entorhino-hippocampal network. Despite the pioneering work of May-Britt and Edvard Moser on the grid cells, and of John O’Keefe on the place cells in the hippocampus proper, it still needs to be understood how the representation of space and the activity of grid cells in the entorhinal cortex, representing a “map” of the surrounding environment, is transferred to hippocampal place cells, which fire if the animal is in a specific position in space. This information transfer is likely to involve distinct neurons and their synaptic connections forming specific circuits, which are as yet poorly understood.

The symposium will bring together leading researchers from the field of entorhinal and/or hippocampal neurons and synapses and their functional circuits. The organizers wish to stimulate fruitful discussions, aiming at summarizing the most up-to-date knowledge of leading scientists in the field, and at the same time developing novel concepts and even plans for future experiments. As indicated by the title of the symposium, the three main sessions will be entitled “Neurons”, “Synapses & Synaptic Mechanisms”, and “Circuits”.

Image: Alexandr Mitiuc