The Kellner Center for Neurogenomics, Behavior, and Society is pleased to announce the first Lunchtime Lab on Thursday, February 27 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm in NCSA 3000 (1205 W. Clark, Urbana), focusing on the topic of schizotypy with lighting talks by Thomas Kwapil and Uwe Rudolph.
The Lunchtime Lab series aims to explore the connections between genes, brain, behavior, and mental health with attention to the social context. Each session will feature lightning talks from researchers across a range of disciplines, showcasing insights into both animal and human models. The goal is to spark interdisciplinary connections, ignite new research ideas, and pave the way for future seed funding opportunities in Fall 2025. Lunch will be provided.
We hope you will join us for this exciting series as we explore novel perspectives on issues related to mental health and build connections across disciplines.
Speakers
Thomas Kwapil | professor and director of clinical training, psychology
Dr. Kwapil’s research studies schizotypy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, aiming to identify individuals at risk and enhance understanding of these conditions’ etiology and treatment. His work focuses on developing and testing symptom, personality, neurocognitive, biobehavioral, and genetic associates of schizotypy.
Uwe Rudolph | professor and head, comparative biosciences
Dr. Rudolph’s research studies the neurobiology of cognitive function in aging and the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. His work focuses on developing genetic mouse models to study synaptic inhibition in the central nervous system, particularly the roles of GABA_A and NMDA receptors in psychiatric conditions.
CSBS, in partnership with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and the School of Social Work, created the Kellner Center to bring together a breadth of fields from genomic biology to neuroscience to social and behavioral science to social work. The Center synthesizes cutting-edge collaborative research across these areas to advance our knowledge of the complex processes by which genes, behavior, and society shape individuals.