Short CV

Michele GIUGLIANO graduated in Electronic Engineering in Genoa in 1997 and completed a doctorate in Bioengineering at the Polytechnic of Milan in 2001 with Massimo Grattarola, pioneer of Neuroengineering in Italy, focusing on Computational Neuroscience and mathematical models short-term synaptic plasticity. In 2001 he left Italy to study neurobiology with a long-term fellowship from the Human Frontiers Science Program at the medical school from the University of Bern, Switzerland, where he studied experimentally the response properties of in vitro cortical neurons from rat brain slices. In 2005 he became a junior group leader at the Mind-Brain Institute of the Federal Polytechnic of Lausanne, where he worked with Henry Markram, initiator of the Human Brain Project. At EPFL he investigated the impact of coupling of carbon-based nanomaterials to brain tissue. In 2008 he took over the chair of Neuroscience at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, where for 11 years he was Biomedical Sciences faculty, ultimately full professor, directing a research group active in Neurobiology and Neuroengineering. In Antwerp he focused on Neuroengineering, nanomaterials, in vitro disease models, novel brain-electrode interfacing techniques, and where he continued investigating the spike-response properties of cortical cells, in both humans and rodents brain slices. In 2019 he came back to Italy as a professor of Physiology at the School Superior of Advanced Studies of Trieste (SISSA), where he moved his experimental lab. He focused his activity on iontropic actuation and neuromodulation of neurons for excitability disorders. In 2024, he moved to Modena as Professor of Bioengineering, where he contributed to lauching the new Master in "Bioengineering for Innovation in Medicine". In Modena, he continues studying the electrophysiological properties of human tissue, obtained from drug-resistant surgical resections, in epileptic patients.

Title of the talk

Bridging the Gap In Vitro: Electrophysiology and Computational Modeling in Human Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Abstract

Neurodevelopmental disorders present complex challenges spanning from single-cell anomalies to network-wide dysfunctions. While animal models are foundational, species-specific differences in neuronal physiology create a "valley of death" in translational neuroscience, leading to clinical drug failures. To bridge the gap from bench to bedside, we must integrate advanced in vitro physiological systems with  computational modeling.

This presentation explores the synergy between in vitro platforms and computational analysis to decode neurodevelopmental mutations. I will highlight the use of Microelectrode Arrays (MEAs) to monitor spontaneous electrical activity in neuronal networks, tracking altered network formations, episodic synchronization, and hyperconnectivity. I will discuss integrating human-derived models to overcome this translational gap, including patient-derived brain organoids to track altered interneuron migration, and acutely resected human neocortical slices. Finally, I will illustrate how interfacing multi-level biological datasets with in silico models and advanced signal processing helps interpret network dynamics and simulate the impact of disease-causing mutations.