Project Summary

Nicolas Gaiano, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2008) of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, aims to characterize interactions between neuronal synaptic activity and Notch signaling to gain a better understanding of how neuronal (i.e. synaptic) activity feeds back to regulate signaling and gene expression in neurons. This will be done by modulating the former, the latter, or both and evaluating the effects on neuronal morphology and function. The experimental approach will use neurons from the embryonic mouse brain as the model system, and will rely on molecular and pharmacological manipulations.
This work will contribute to a greater understanding of neuronal maturation and function, and as such may provide insight relevant to the etiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders including depression and schizophrenia.

Program Area: OTHER\General-Mental Illness

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