Research Interests:
The human brain consists of more than 100 billion neurons, which process and transmit information at specialized junctions called synapses. Understanding the properties of synapses formed, stabilized, maintained, and modulated is critical for maintaining accurate neuronal network activity and normal brain function. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the molecular basis of synapse formation and function and exploring the mechanisms underlying impairments in synaptic function observed in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
In pursuing those questions, our laboratory will utilize an interdisciplinary approach that spans from in vitro studies to animal behavior assessments and includes patch recordings in the acute slice, stereotaxic viral injection for gene manipulation and functional circuit tracing, optogenetics, molecular biology, and mouse genetics.
Our studies will identify molecules required for synapse formation and function and determine how mutations in their genes give rise to neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders. Our findings will provide insights into the fundamental molecular mechanisms that mediate synaptic function and help elucidate the role of synaptic malfunction in neurologic disorders.