Programme

Chair: Jan Siemens, Heidelberg, Germany

09:30 GS-13-01
A Molecular Tug-of-War: TRPC5 and TRPM8 in the Regulation of the Goldilocks Temperature
Katharina Zimmermann, Erlangen, Germany

09:50 GS-13-02
Neural Circuits of Thermal Perception
James Poulet, Berlin, Germany

10:10 GS-13-03
The Plastic Brain: How Heat Can Change Neuronal Activity to Drive Heat Acclimation
Jan Siemens, Heidelberg, Germany

10:30 GS-13-04
Climate Change and the Brain: A Clinical Perspective
Sanjay Sisodiya, London, United Kingdom

Short description:
How temperature shapes neural function—from sensory perception to physiological adaptation and neurological vulnerability—remains a fundamental and increasingly urgent question. This symposium examines thermosensory processing across levels of neural organization, from peripheral ion channels that set thermal detection thresholds and guide behavior, to central cortical, thalamic, and hypothalamic circuits that encode temperature and support long-term adaptation. It will highlight mechanisms by which prolonged heat exposure induces plastic changes in neuronal excitability, enabling heat acclimation and tolerance, and will address how thermal stress exacerbates neurological disorders such as epilepsy. By linking molecular, systems, physiological, and clinical perspectives, the symposium provides an integrated view of temperature as a powerful modulator of brain function, with particular relevance in the context of global climate change.