The Kellner Center for Neurogenomics, Behavior, and Society hosted the second Lunchtime Lab on Monday, March 24 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm in NCSA 3000, focusing on the topic of ASD/Neurodivergence with lighting talks by Howard Gritton, Laura Hetrick, and Ben Richardson.
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.
Speakers
Howard Gritton | assistant professor of comparative biosciences, bioengineering, and neuroscience
Dr. Gritton’s research lab uses animal models to understand how neuromodulators contribute to sensory and memory encoding, and how this can facilitate interactions across regions of the brain. Through genetic targeting tools, he measures how perturbations of neurotransmitter systems associated with illness or disease ultimately influence learning and memory or cognitive and social behavior in mice.
Laura Hetrick | associate professor, School of Art and Design
Dr. Hetrick’s research focuses mainly on autistic identity and the autistic lived experience. Currently, she is working with an interdisciplinary team of scientists including a geneticist/cell & developmental biologist and a neuroscientist to explore and understand various autistic co-occurring conditions from a neurogenetic, molecular and cellular level, and as a result, advocate for improved medical care, prevention, and maintenance for autistic adults.
Ben Richardson | assistant professor and director of the Pharmacology & Neuroscience Graduate Program, Southern Illinois University
The two goals of Dr. Richardson’s lab are to 1) develop a more complete understanding of certain neurocircuits and 2) use that information to inform we view and assess environmental and genetic contributions to neuropsychiatric disease. He is working to identify the mechanisms by which changes or effects in the cerebellum may contribute to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), alcoholism, and deficits in auditory processing.
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.