Richard Huganir is interested in the molecular mechanisms that modulate the communication between neurons in the brain. This modulation is critical for complex processes in the brain, including learning and memory and development.
Human behavior is a reflection of brain function.
Our emotions, our intelligence, and our ability to learn and remember all depend on the intricacy of communication between trillions of nerve cells in the human brain. These neuronal circuits, or pathways, are sculpted by the constant modification of synaptic connections between neurons. These synapses are specialized areas of contact in which signals are sent and received between two neurons. Each of the trillion neurons in the human brain can have up to 1,000 synaptic connections. By establishing an ever changing network of synapses, the brain is able to attain the level of functional complexity that underlies human behavior.