Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 Location: 46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium)Speaker: Aakanksha Singhvi, Ph.D. Affiliation: Associate Professor, Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Research CenterHost: Dr. Steve FlavellTalk title: Glial molecular heterogeneity and roles in neural function, aging, and Parkinson’s diseaseAbstract: Molecular interactions between the two major cell types of the nervous system, glia and neurons, underlie neural development and functions. Compared to neurons, however, molecular understanding of glial functions remains sparse. Beyond fundamental insight into how the nervous system works, this critical knowledge gap is also disease-relevant, given that glial dysfunction is seen in many neurological disorders.My lab investigates glia biology in vivo at single-cell resolution using C. elegans as a powerful molecular-genetic platform that we helped establish. We previously identified glial factors that modulate neuron properties, uncovered that tricellular epithelia-glia-neuron mechanobiology coupling impacts neural aging, and built the complete molecular atlas of C. elegans glia – which revealed extensive molecular heterogeneity and sex-dimorphism across nervous system glia.We had also previously discovered that glial engulfment/pruning is a conserved function in C. elegans and found that glia dynamically modulate engulfment based on neuron activity. Engulfment of neuron-fragments is a critical and disease-linked, but molecularly less-defined, glial function. We now report our finding that multiple genes linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD), the fastest growing neurodegenerative disorder, act in glia to regulate glial engulfment downstream of neuron activity. Further, mechanistically these genes act differently in glia compared to their reported neuronal roles, via a pathway conserved in humans. Thus, our findings link glial engulfment to PD; and highlight the importance of evaluating disease-gene functions by (glial) cell-context for complete assessment of their roles in disease etiology.

Becoming Ungovernable: Hill Peoples, Decentralized Resistance and Buddhist Nationalism in Southeast Asiapresented by : Dr David Thang Moe, Research Affiliate, MIT Center for International StudiesWhy does the central state, shaped by Buddhist nationalism, become an enemy of ethnic and religious minorities in Hill Southeast Asia—a region referred to as Zomia by James Scott and others? In what ways do decentralized resistance movements across Southeast Asia’s villages and valleys—particularly in Myanmar and its diasporic communities—challenge the military power of the central state? How might ungovernable communities in these hill areas reimagine a new nation that moves beyond Buddhist state nationalism and military dictatorship? Drawing on his firsthand experiences and his forthcoming monograph, Beyond Buddhist Nationalism (Oxford University Press), David Moe will explore the politics of civil war, Buddhist nationalism, ethnic conflict, everyday forms of decentralized resistance, diasporic mobilization, efforts toward ethnic reconciliation, and a new vision for a democratic and inclusive future of nationhood.

Student authors will read from their work collected in this year's edition of Angles. There will be light refreshments.Co-hosted by Comparative Media Studies/Writing and MIT Libraries.

On Wednesday nights you are invited to come to The Table for peaceful Christian worship in the Chapel at 5:15 pm and dinner in the Main Dining Room of W11 at around 6:30 pm.We worship with beautiful songs, open conversation about the Scriptures, prayers and a simple sharing of communion around the altar. Then we enjoy dinner together and good company together. Whether you come every week or just drop by once in a while, there is a caring community for you at the Table.You are truly welcome to come as you are: undergrad, grad, or post-doc; sure of your faith or wondering what it is all about; gay, straight, bi, trans, questioning. Please join us for no-pressure worship and fellowship.Hosted by the Lutheran Epsicopal Ministry @ MIT. For more information, or to verify gathering times during holiday and vacation periods, please contact chaplains Andrew Heisen (heisen@mit.edu) and Kevin Vetiac (kvet246@mit.edu).Please note that we will not meet during the week of Thanksgiving nor between Christmas and New Year's Day. Please see our website (le-ministry.mit.edu) for updates on meeting times and locations as well as additional details.

Time: 7:00 PMLocation: Springfield, MA

Come join the MIT Women’s Chorale as we experience the joy of making music together! New singers from throughout the MIT community are welcome on Wednesdays evenings, beginning on September 10, from 7 to 9 pm in Building 4 as we practice for our December concert.The Chorale, a concert choir focused on music for treble voice, is led by our talented music director, Nhung Truong, who makes each rehearsal a pleasure.We ask that prospective singers contact us at mitwc@mit.edu to register with us and be placed on an e mail list to receive necessary information. Further details are available on our website.https://web.mit.edu/womensleague/womenschorale/