My long-term research interest is to characterize the functional role of structurally defined neuronal compartments such as spines, dendrites, and presynaptic terminals, and how they participate in synaptic function and plasticity. Neurotrophins are secretory proteins that regulate neuronal survival and differentiation.
Recent studies indicate that neurotrophins also modulate synapse development and plasticity.
A related project in the lab is to characterize the effect of neurotrophic factors on the structural differentiation of dendrites, spines and synapses. Neurotrophic factors are strong candidates to provide the molecular signaling pathways mediating complex interactions leading to appropriate dendritic maturation and synapse development. The simultaneous application of morphological, physiological, and optical imaging techniques to in vitro models such as the acute and cultured hippocampal slices provides unique opportunities to study the role of separate functional cellular compartments in synaptic function and integration at the single neuron level in the Central Nervous System.