- Abstract: This seminar explores a 20-year body of fundamental research led by Maarten Kamermans, which originally focused on understanding how the first synapse in the visual system, the photoreceptor-to-bipolar cell synapse, works. I will discuss how unexpected discoveries along the way linked this basic retinal circuit to infantile nystagmus associated with Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (CSNB). We will explore how a tiny synaptic defect triggers a cascade of network imbalances, ultimately pushing the retina into a state of pathological oscillations. Finally, I will share our recent findings on how neuromodulation—specifically dopamine—interacts with these imbalanced networks.
A Dopamine Hit in the Eye: How a Tiny Defect Leads to Pathological Oscillations in the Retina
- When
- Tuesday 8 December 2026, 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
- Speaker
- Dr. Semih Sermet
- Locations
- Huygens building, HG 00.303
- Organisation
- Donders Centre for Neuroscience