Seminar explores how neurotropic viruses alter synaptic plasticity and neuronal circuits using 3D models, proteomics, live imaging, and machine learning.
The Institut Pasteur de São Paulo (IPSP) will hold another edition of its scientific seminar series on May 26 (Tuesday), at 11:00 AM. The event will take place at the Block B Auditorium, 1st floor, at the INOVA USP building, bringing together researchers and students interested in advances in virology and neuroscience.
The invited speaker for this edition is researcher Raphael Gaudin, PhD, a member of the Membrane Dynamics of Viruses (MDV) team at the Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), affiliated with Université de Montpellier and CNRS, in France. His work is carried out in partnership with the Nervous System Disease Modeling group at IPSP, led by Prof. Patricia Beltrão-Braga, which focuses on unraveling mechanisms involved in developmental disorders, considering both genetic and environmental factors, with an emphasis on viral infections during neural development.
During the presentation, Raphael Gaudin will address the topic: “Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying viral neuroinfection for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.”
In the seminar, he will discuss how viruses with a tropism for the nervous system—known as neurotropic viruses—can interfere with brain function beyond classical conditions such as encephalitis. According to the researcher, these infections may lead to more subtle alterations, including cognitive symptoms often described as “brain fog.”
The approach to be presented combines cutting-edge techniques to investigate interactions between viruses and neurons, including human 3D brain models, live imaging, proteomics, and machine learning tools. These resources make it possible to analyze in detail how viruses alter synaptic plasticity and neuronal circuits.
The results of these studies have the potential to broaden the understanding of brain dysfunctions associated with viral infections and, importantly, to contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed not only at eliminating the virus but also at treating infection-related neurological symptoms.
Event information
Institut Pasteur de São Paulo Seminars
Date: May 26, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: INOVA USP – Block B Auditorium, 1st floor (Av. Prof. Lúcio Martins Rodrigues, 370, Butantã, São Paulo)