Invited talks and lectures

9^th December 2010
Departmental Seminar, Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland (Host: Dr. Nina Ullrich)
“Novel neuroprotective strategies for neurodegenerative disease: targeting intracellular calcium signaling”

6^th February 2010
Invited Lecture, Perkin Elmer Germany and Hamburg Screening Port, Hamburg, Germany
(Host: Dr. Martin Daffertshofer)
“Novel neuroprotective strategies for neurodegenerative disease: using high-resolution and high-throughput imaging for targeting intracellular calcium signaling”

6^th November 2010
Opening lecture, European Molecular Biology Organization US Fellows Meeting 2010, San Diego, CA
“Neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease”

26^th August 2010
Departmental Seminar, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, MO
(Host: Dean Lawrence Dreyfus)
“Calcium signaling in neurological and neurodegenerative disease: novel avenues for neuroprotection”

12^th February 2010
Departmental Seminar, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, UK “Ca2+ signaling in neurodegenerative disease: novel avenues for neuroprotection”

8^th May 2009
McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Host: Dr. D. Steindler)
Special Seminar: “Migraine, epilepsy, cerebellar ataxia and trauma: one pathophysiological mechanism?”

11^th March 2009
Eye Foundation of Kansas City, UMKC School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO (Host: Dr. N. Sabates)
Vision Research Seminar: “Novel Insights into Familial Hemiplegic Migraine: Involvement of the Visual System”

7^th October 2008
Scientific Seminar, Memory Disorders Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital,
Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark (Host: Dr. Joergen E. Nielsen)
“Novel therapeutic approaches for cerebellar ataxias.”

3^rd October 2008
Scientific Seminar, Glostrup Research Institute, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark
(Host: Dr. Inger Jansen Olesen)
“Migraine: Insights from transgenic mouse models.”

22^nd June 2008
Expert Seminar, Neuromed Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
“The role of Cav3.1 and GABA-A receptors in cerebellar ataxia.”

8^th April 2008
The Chris Thompson Memorial Symposium and Neuroscience North East, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, Durham, UK
“Migraine: Insights from two novel transgenic mouse models.”

22^nd January 2008
Departmental Seminar, Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX (Host: Dr. M. Singh)
"Migraine: Insights from a novel transgenic mouse model."

23^rd November 2007
Departmental Seminar, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
(Host: Prof. Steve Edwards)
“Migraine: Insights from two transgenic mouse models.”

11^th May 2007
Departmental Seminar, Department of Pharmacology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria (Host: Prof. Dr. J. Striessnig)
"Calcium Channel Dysfunction in Mouse Models for Epilepsy and Migraine."

9^th May 2007
Departmental Seminar, Institute for Surgical Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany (Host: Prof. Dr. N. Plesnila)
"Cacna1a S218L Knock-In Mice: A Model for Migraine, Trauma and Ataxia."

7^th May 2007
Departmental Seminar, Institute for Physiology II/Neurophysiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany (Host: PD Dr. F. Richter)
"The Role of Calcium Channel Dysfunction in Migraine."

4^th May 2007
Expert Seminar, Neuromed Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
“Migraine: Insights from a novel mouse model with the S218L mutation in the P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channel.”

10^th October 2006
Colloquium, Michael Smith Laboratories, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
"Muscle Weakness Contributes to the Phenotype of Rolling Nagoya Mutant Mice."

3^rd October 2006
Departmental Seminar, Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX (Host: Professor P. Koulen)
"Synaptic effects of mutations in neuronal Cav2.1 calcium channels."

22^nd March 2006
Departmental Seminar, Department of Neuropathology, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany (Host: Prof. Dr. I. Blümcke)
“Synaptic effects of neurological disease-associated mutations in Cav2.1 calcium channels.”

11^th October 2005
Departmental Seminar, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany (Host: Prof. Dr. T. Jentsch)
"Characterization of neuromuscular synaptic transmission in the novel Cacna1a knock-in mouse model for familial hemiplegic migraine."

16^th May 2005
Laboratory Seminar, Professor Terrance Snutch, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
"Recent advances in the study of Ca²⁺ channel mutant mice."

20^th July 2004
Departmental Seminar Molecular and Cell Biology Series, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom (Host: Dr. C.L. Thompson)
"P/Q-Type Calcium Channels in Health and Disease."

Short presentations at conferences

S. Kaja, D. L. Goad, E. V. Gregg, M. D. Ferrari, A. M. J. M. Van den Maagdenberg, T. P. Snutch, and P. Koulen. Reduced Presynaptic Signaling in Retinal Neurons of a Transgenic Mouse Model for Familial Hemiplegic Migraine. ARVO Meeting Abstracts April 11, 2010 51:5796. Slide presentation.

S. Kaja, M. Shapovalova, A. Tottene, J. Mezeyova, D. Parker, M.D. Ferrari, A.M. van den Maagdenberg, D. Pietrobon, T.P. Snutch. Absence of Functional Compensation in Cerebellar Neurons of Knock-in Mice with the Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Type 1 S218L Mutation. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting San Diego, CA 2007. Slide presentation

S.Kaja, R.C.G. Van de Ven, M.D. Ferrari, R.R. Frants, A.M.J. Van den Maagdenberg, J.J. Plomp. Differential non-Cav2.1 compensation profiles at motor nerve terminals of Leaner and Null Cav2.1-mutant mice. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting Atlanta, GA 2006.
Slide presentation

S. Kaja, R.C. van de Ven, R.R. Frants, M.D. Ferrari, A.M. Van den Maagdenberg, J.J. Plomp. Characterization of neuromuscular synaptic transmission in the novel Cacna1a S218L knock-in mouse model for familial hemiplegic migraine. Postgraduate and Early-Career Symposium 2005, Sep 14-15, Durham, UK. Slide presentation.

S. Kaja, R.C.G. Van de Ven, L.A.M. Broos, R.R. Frants, M.D. Ferrari, A.M.J. Van den Maagdenberg, J.J. Plomp  Increased transmitter release at neuromuscular synapses of a novel Cacna1a S218L knock-in mouse model for familial hemiplegic migraine. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting San Diego, CA 2004. Slide presentation

S. Kaja, J.J. Plomp, L.A. Broos, R.C. van de Ven, A.M. van den Maagdenberg, R.R. Frants, M.D. Ferrari. Ex vivo electrophysiology at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Topiramate Preclinical Update Meeting Johnson & Johnson 2003, Jan 16-18, Coral Gables, FL. Slide presentation.

S. Kaja, A. Wilton, M. Bingley, P. Tiwari, C.L. Thompson. Expression of an extrasynaptic, cerebellar granule cell-specific GABA-A receptor subtype is selectively impaired in the epileptic and ataxic mouse, Tottering. Neuroscience North East Conference 2002, Dec 16-17, Sunderland, UK. Slide presentation.

S. Kaja, S. Yang, R. Liu, K. Fujitani, A.-M. Brun-Zinkernagel, J.H. Brandstatter, J.W. Simpkins, K. Inokuchi, P. Koulen. Vesl-1L/Homer-1c expression in the rat retina and changed expression during retinal ischemia and neuroprotection by estrogen.  Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting Orlando, FL 2002. Slide presentation

Other

Guest speaker: “Anthropology: New insights from psychology and neuroscience”
Symposium of the German National Academic Foundation,
Bad Honnef, Germany, November 2005;

Guest speaker: “Will and Emotion: New Insights from Psychology, Philosophy and Neuroscience”,
German National Academic Foundation Summer University,
Rovinj, Croatia, August 2003;

Guest speaker: “FUTUR – The German Research Dialogue”
Think-tank by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research,
Berlin, Germany, February 2005;

Guest speaker: “End-of-life decisions”,
German National Academic Foundation Summer University,
Rot an der Rot, Germany, August 2002.