Title: Maturation and plasticity of cortical interneurons

Speaker: Prof. Oscar Marín

Biography:

Oscar Marín is a Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London. He graduated in Biology and obtained a PhD in Neuroscience from Universidad Complutense in Madrid (Spain), followed by postdoctoral training at UCSF (USA). He was a group leader at the Institute of Neuroscience in Alicante (Spain) before joining King’s in 2014. In 2005, he was selected as one of the founding members of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council, serving until 2010. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a fellow of the Royal Society. Oscar is known for his discoveries on cerebral cortex development, with special reference to inhibitory interneurons. His discoveries have provided a novel conceptual paradigm that illuminates current research on the origin of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. He serves on several editorial and advisory boards. He has received multiple prizes, including the Rey Jaime I Award for Basic Research (2011), Prix Roger de Spoelberch (2014), the Cajal Medal from the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences (2017), the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award (2023), and the FENS-EJN Award (2024).

Abstract: GABAergic interneurons play crucial roles in regulating neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex. A hallmark of cortical interneurons is their remarkable structural and functional diversity, yet the molecular determinants and the precise timing underlying their diversification remain largely unknown. The search for mechanisms controlling the diversity of GABAergic interneurons has primarily focused on transcriptional programs driving the initial specification of different types of interneurons. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms regulating their terminal differentiation. In this talk, I will describe molecular mechanisms controlling the maturation and plasticity of PV+ interneurons, a subclass of cortical interneurons that is particularly vulnerable across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders.

Location: Aula Dini, Palazzo del Castelletto

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM