Join us for an insightful webinar featuring Dr. Schmid, a renowned scientist and electrophysiologist with over two decades of experience in studying auditory evoked behaviors and cognitive function in health and neurodevelopmental disorders using rat models. Trained at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, Dr. Schmid is currently a professor and Vice Dean at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.

Dr. Schmid’s research focuses on synaptic mechanisms underlying sensory information processing and sensory filtering, and how these mechanisms change in rodent models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, her studies explore the impact of disrupted sensory processing on cognitive function, with some rodent studies directly translated to human research through collaborations with psychologists and psychiatrists.

Her lab employs a wide array of methods, including in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, stereotaxic brain surgery, chronic implantation of electrodes and cannulas, opto- & chemogenetics, neuropharmacology, cognitive behavioral testing, and histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular analysis in rats.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the translational value of animal models for mental health research.
  • Recognize the importance of studying sensory systems for translational research.
  • Learn methods to evaluate auditory processing in animal models and clinical populations.
  • Identify sensory disruptions associated with autism.