What can a tiny freshwater fish teach us about our own nervous system? A lot, as it turns out! The zebrafish, native to the Ganges region, is a biomedical workhorse with research implications in fields such as genetics, neuroscience, toxicology, stem cell research, and even space travel (zebrafish have been to space)! Aside from global scientific importance, the zebrafish is also a local celebrity, having first been introduced in laboratories by microbiologist George Streisinger at the University of Oregon in the 1970s. As someone instrumental in establishing zebrafish as a model for the study of glial cells in the brain, Dr. Kelly Monk will share what makes the zebrafish such a great model system in general, and more specifically in her field of brain development and disease.

Science Pubs are a casual lecture series located in fun venues across the region, recommended for ages 10 and over.