His work focuses on the synaptic secretion of neurotransmitters, especially the targeting and regulation of synaptic vesicle fusion at the presynaptic plasma membrane.
Synapses are the major points at which information is transmitted between neurons in the brain.
Synapses are intercellular junctions that are specialized for information transfer between presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Signals are transmitted between neurons at synapses via chemical neurotransmitters that are secreted by presynaptic nerve terminals and recognized by postsynaptic neurons. Presynaptic nerve terminals accumulate neurotransmitters into abundant secretory organelles called synaptic vesicles. When nerve terminals are stimulated by an action potential and calcium influx, synaptic vesicles undergo exocytosis to release the neurotransmitters. In a long-term program, our research focuses on the functions of the presynaptic nerve terminal, specifically on understanding the molecular basis for the precisely targeted, highly regulated secretion of neurotransmitters at the synapse.