Strokes to be discussed at next 'Neuroscience on Tap' March 1 downtown

Faculty from WWU’s Behavioral Neuroscience Program and Biology and Psychology departments will gather for a monthly neighborhood round-table discussion, “Neuroscience on Tap: Bring Your Own Brain (BYOB),” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 1, at Bob’s Burgers & Brew, 202 E. Holly St. in downtown Bellingham.

“Stroke: Insights into How Brain Cells Respond to an Attack from Within” is this month’s topic, which will be hosted by Jose Serrano-Moreno, an assistant professor in Western’s Biology Department.

Stroke is the third-most-common natural cause of death in Western countries. Most of the strokes are ischemic, resulting of the occlusion of a major cerebral artery. This occlusion triggers a complex cascade of biochemical events involving glial and neuronal cell types present in the brain; given that neuronal cells only represent 10-15 percent of brain cells, it is imperative to understand the participation of the glial cells in the pathogenesis and progression of stroke.

In this discussion, Serrano-Moreno will delineate that sequence of events with the participation of different glial cells and highlight possible pharmacological targets that would contribute to decrease the health impact of stroke episodes.

Regular monthly meetings occur on the first Monday of each month. At each meeting, a faculty member will lead the discussion of a specific topic, from mental illness to food addiction to brain injury. The location for these meetings is now a private upstairs room at Bob’s Burgers & Brew.

For more information on this event, contact Coco Besson, WWU Behavioral Neuroscience Program Coordinator, at (360) 650-2148 or at coco.besson@wwu.edu. Additional program information can also be found at http://www.wwu.edu/neuroscience/.