Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Location: 46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium)

Speaker: Nenad Sestan , Ph.D.
Affiliation: Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Neuroscience, Yale University

Host: Dr. Myriam Heiman

Talk title: Development and Evolution of Human Cognitive Networks

Abstract: The extraordinary capabilities of the cerebral cortex are central to the biological basis of human uniqueness. A defining organizational principle is the sensorimotor-to-association (S–A) axis, which extends from modality-specific primary sensorimotor areas to transmodal regions that form distributed association networks supporting high-level cognition. Although conserved across mammals, this axis has been extensively remodeled in humans, characterized by a disproportionate expansion of association networks. In this presentation, I will highlight recent findings on the molecular and cellular mechanisms shaping the development and evolution of the cortical S–A axis. I will focus specifically on the prefrontal cortex and broader association networks, their evolutionary specializations, and why these expanded structures are preferentially affected in neurological and psychiatric disorders that impair cognition.