Modelling neural signalling in the C. elegans connectome
Dr. Caio Seguin
Thursday, 29 October 2026, 10:00-11:00
Abstract:
Network neuroscience and connectomics have made great advances in characterising the organisation of brain connectivity using the mathematics of graph theory. Despite this progress, the question remains: are network and graph properties merely descriptive, or do they bear on mechanisms of brain function and dysfunction? In this talk, I will discuss the recent shift away from descriptions of brain connectivity and towards the use of network measures as tools for mechanism discovery and health outcomes prediction. I will focus on network models of brain signalling and communication, presenting preliminary work modelling the propagation of single-neuron optogenetic perturbations in C. elegans, recorded using organism-wide calcium imaging. I will situate these findings alongside evidence from direct electrical stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation in humans, showing how simple models provide insight into how connectome architecture may shape diverse trans-synaptic signalling processes across species and scales.