M-BIC Lecture: Huib Mansvelder

Why are some people able to think faster than others? It is a mystery how neurobiological factors contribute to differences in cognitive ability between individuals. Can differences in brain circuits, cells, or perhaps molecular networks contribute? Traditionally, research on the topic of the neurobiology of human intelligence follows two very different strategies: either investigating brain structure and function of areas in our brain that are involved in intelligence through brain imaging, or identifying genes and genetic loci associated with intelligence in genome wide association studies. However, we know little about the intermediate level: how do properties of brain cells relate to human cognition? Most of our understanding of how properties of brain cells contribute to cognition comes from laboratory animals. The emergence of single cell transcriptomics combined with functional and morphological analysis of neurons in human neocortex may offer an opportunity to understand how genes of intelligence can act on cortical structure and function to contribute to human mental ability. This talk is centered on the question whether human neocortical architecture and neuron properties contribute to human cognition. I will discuss our recent work on adaptations in human neuron structure and function that distinguishes them from those of laboratory animals. Furthermore, I will show our recent approaches to link genetic, cellular, and brain-imaging studies by investigating whether expression of genes associated with human cognitive ability are associated with the neuronal properties in specific neuron types and brain areas.