Speaking and dancing are perhaps the most ancient forms of human social communication. Dr. Erich Jarvis and Dr. Constantina Theofanopoulou, drawing insights from their research in human and non-human species, will provide a fascinating look into the genes-to-neurons choreography that enable us and other species to speak, sing and dance. They will also discuss speech and movement disorders that stem from disruptions in these neural pathways, as well as the therapeutic role that dance can play in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and autism.

Participant Bios:

Dr. Constantina Theofanopoulou (CBA ’22) is the Herbert and Neil Singer Research Assistant Professor at Rockefeller University, the Director of the Neurobiology of Social Communication Lab, and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU. Her aim is to understand the neural circuits of complex sensory motor behaviors that serve social communication, specifically speech and dance, and to identify possible therapies for speech and motor disorders. She has received over 20 scientific awards for her research, including her selection as a Next Generation Leader by the Allen Institute, and her inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021. Constantina has served in various leadership positions in initiatives promoting diversity and equity in the sciences, such as in the New York Academy of Sciences and in the Council of the Rockefeller Inclusive Science Initiative. She is a professional flamenco dancer and in 2012, she was awarded the first prize of the Spanish Dance Society.

Dr. Erich Jarvis is the head of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language and professor at The Rockefeller University. He is also a scientific investigator with Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Dr. Jarvis uses song-learning birds and other species as models to study the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie vocal learning, including how humans learn spoken language. He is interested in how their brains, and ours, have evolved to produce this complex behavior. Dr. Jarvis also leads the Vertebrate Genomes project, is a co-PI of the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium and part of the Earth Biogenome Project. Dr. Jarvis is the recipient of key awards and honors for his achievements, including one of the highest awards given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, and one of the highest given by the National Science Foundation (NSF) — the NSF Alan T. Waterman Award.

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This is an in-person event. The program will be recorded and posted to our Youtube channel. Please email nyucba@gmail.com with any accessibility needs.

A reception will be held at the end of this event, and all attendees are welcomed to join.