Lectures on Tap - "How Scientists Identify What Neurons Do in the Brain "

Professors, experts, and storytellers giving thought-provoking lectures in Boston bars. 📍 Location: Exact address given in confirmation email 🧠 Lecture: How Scientists Identify What Neurons Do in the Brain 🎤 Speaker: Dr. Didar Ciftci How does the brain turn a fleeting moment into a deliberate action? As animals interact with the world, different neurons spring into action—but seeing a neuron “light up” only tells us what it’s doing, not who it is. In this talk, we’ll follow neurons from action to identity, combining real-time imaging of brain activity with cutting-edge molecular maps of the brain. Along the way, we’ll explore a new approach called MIDAS, which matches neurons observed during behavior with their molecular identities afterward. Our speaker, Dr. Didar Ciftci, is a biophysicist fascinated by how the invisible world of molecules gives rise to the things we can see and do. With a PhD in Biophysics from Cornell University and postdoctoral work at Harvard co-developing light-based molecular barcoding to visualize RNA, she now create new imaging approaches that link behavior with the activity, spatial organization, and molecular makeup of neurons. Come uncover how what a neuron is shapes what it does—and what that reveals about the cellular players behind complex behavior. Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌 Agenda 6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key. 6:55 PM – Host introduction 7:00 PM – Lecture begins 7:45 PM – Audience Q&A 8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round 8:30 PM – Wrap up.