SCSB Special Seminar with Dr. Aya Ito-Ishida: Cross-species analyses reveal conserved cortical network alterations in Rett syndrome

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Location: 46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium). Please note this talk will not be recorded Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm ET Speaker: Aya Ito-Ishida, M.D., Ph.D. Affiliation: Team Director, Laboratory for Brain Development and Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science Hosts: Dr. Giselle Fernandes, Dr. Mriganka Sur Talk title: Cross-species analyses reveal conserved cortical network alterations in Rett syndrome Abstract: Cortical circuits undergo extensive reorganization during development to support the emergence of complex cognitive behaviors. Disruption of this process is thought to contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders, but how genetic alterations reshape large-scale cortical organization, how these changes relate to behavioral impairments, and whether they can be reversed remain poorly understood. Rett syndrome, a monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder, provides a unique genetically defined system for linking molecular alterations, large-scale circuit dysfunction, and behavioral consequences. In this talk, I will present our recent work combining resting-state fMRI in individuals with Rett syndrome and wide-field calcium imaging in mice. Our findings suggest a conserved disruption of cortical functional hierarchy that is closely associated with behavioral severity. Furthermore, we find that this abnormality is reversible following MECP2 reintroduction in mice, suggesting that this approach may provide a cross-species framework for evaluating emerging therapies in Rett syndrome and related neurodevelopmental disorders.