Spring 2026 Biology Seminar Series Speaker – Behnoush Rafiei Nia, Clark University

Behnoush Rafiei Nia’s project investigates how Notch/Delta signaling regulates early neurogenesis in the marine annelid Capitella teleta and what this reveals about the evolution of central nervous systems in animals. By experimentally reducing and increasing Notch signaling activity, the study examines how neural precursor cells balance proliferation and differentiation during the formation of the brain and ventral nerve cord. Focusing on annelids, a largely understudied bilaterian lineage, the research provides new insight into how ancient developmental mechanisms were modified to generate diverse nervous system architectures.