Research Interests:

Nervous system development and disease; Receptor biology and signal transduction; Basic and translational research in neural injury and repair.

Current Research:

Our lab is interested in studying molecular mechanisms controlling nervous system development and disease. A central theme of our research program has been on pursuing links between genes, gene products, and physiological/pathological processes. Specifically, we use combined biochemical/molecular/cellular and integrative approaches applied to both in vitro and in vivo models to study the role of neurotransmitter receptors and their signaling pathways in the regulation of neural cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation in a cell-specific manner. This research has helped to define at the molecular level the plasticity of brain cells and their potential for enhancing repair of damage caused by brain injury and disease.

Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, but can also cause excitotoxic injury to the nervous system under many pathological circumstances. Previous research has been focused largely, if not exclusively, on neuronal excitotoxicity. However, emerging evidence indicates that the precursors of oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming glial cells in the central nervous system, share with neurons a high vulnerability to glutamate excitotoxicity that may underlie many nervous system disorders. These precursor cells emerge early in development and remain persistent throughout the adult life. We have been determining the role of glutamate receptors expressed on these cells in nervous system development and injury.

This work has important implications in nervous system diseases from cerebral palsy to multiple sclerosis, in which oligodendroglial injury plays an important role. This research has also opened up exciting new directions in uncovering novel mechanisms of glial excitotoxicity in other neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Noteworthy Publications: