Please join us for a colloquium in Moore Filene Auditorium next week on Thursday, February 12, 2026, starting at 1:05 p.m., given by Sam Golden, Associate Professor, Ronald S. Howell Distinguished Faculty Fellow at University of Washington.

Title:  Preclinical Tools Bridging Brain, Body, and Behavior

Abstract:  Understanding how neural circuits generate behavior requires tools that quantitatively link brain activity, physiological state, and naturalistic behavior. This talk highlights a suite of open-source preclinical technologies designed to bridge these domains across scales while emphasizing accessibility and interpretability. I will first describe advances in automated behavioral analysis using supervised machine learning, focusing on the Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) platform. By incorporating explainable AI approaches such as SHAP values, SimBA provides transparent, quantitative definitions of complex behavior, enabling direct comparison across laboratories and species. Next, I will discuss advances in whole-brain cellular mapping using ArgiNLS, a non-deleterious nuclear localization strategy that enhances signal-to-noise and machine-learning–based cell segmentation in large-scale volumetric imaging datasets, enabling robust alignment of brain-wide cellular activity patterns with precisely quantified behaviors. Finally, I will present wireless, battery-free implantable bio-mechano-acoustic devices for continuous multiparametric monitoring in freely behaving animals, capturing heart rate, respiration, temperature, activity, and behavioral state in individuals and social groups. Together, these tools form a convergent framework that unifies brain, body, and behavior, enabling scalable and interpretable insights into biological states relevant to health and disease.

Coffee, tea, and cider donuts will be available a few minutes before and after the talk in the foyer space outside of Moore Filene Auditorium.