Research Groups > Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience Neuroplasticity and Disease

To date, many fundamental questions about synaptic function and plasticity, despite their importance, remain unanswered‚ for example:

• Are synaptic sites in the adult brain fixed or can learning and memory change them?
• Which cellular signaling pathways underlie the stabiliy or modification of neuronal connections and how can they be manipulated to design new therapies for neurological diseases?

To address these questions we use a combination of behavioral and advanced molecular genetic, imaging and anatomical techniques. We have recently tracked adult neocortical circuits over several months in vivo using 2-photon microscopy and found cell-type specific dynamics. We are now investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying normal and pathological neuronal network alterations, and the cellular and synaptic basis of learning and of common neuropathologies such as fragile-X syndrome and brain injury. Our primary objective is to discover synaptic and circuit phenotypes at early stages of disease that could be used as therapeutic targets.

Figure 1. Plasticity of adult cortical synapses in vivo on postnatal days (PND) 98-114. Bar, 5 µm (Images taken with a 2-photon microscope.)

Figure 2. Imaging synaptic molecules in vivo. An axon (red) and synaptophysin (green) visualised through a cranial window on postnatal days (PND) 240-310. Bar, 5 µm (Put mouse over image to play animation.)