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RESEARCH INTERESTS
Neuroscience, Neurobiology
Synaptic physiology
Glutamate receptors
Physiology and pharmacology of glutamate receptors
Molecular genetics
Electrophysiology
PUBLICATIONS
My research is centered around a fundamental question in neuroscience; how is behavior controlled at both the cellular/network level and the underlying molecular level? To address these questions, we have taken a combined approach of molecular genetics and electrophysiology in C. elegans. In particular, we are utilizing these approaches to understand how glutamate receptors modulate the activity of simple neuronal networks. Glutamate receptors are utilized in all nervous systems, from C. elegans to humans, to convey and decode information; but how information is processed, remains a bit of a mystery. By taking advantage of the powerful and efficient genetics of C. elegans and its nervous system of only 302 neurons, we can gain precise insight into how individual genes modulate behavior from the cellular level, to the network level, and all the way to the behavior of the whole organism. On the way, we also are identifying novel genes and novel mechanisms for the regulation of glutamate receptors.
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