Associate Professor
Fac. de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut
Pavello de Govern, Laboratory 4112, Campus de Bellvitge
08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat
934024279
Neuronal circuits must continuously adapt their properties to a changing environment. Learning, development, or aging are normal processes that shape how neurons communicate. Our goal is to gain understanding about the fundamental mechanisms that keep a correct synaptic transmission throughout life. We combine electrophysiology and imaging experiments in autaptic neuronal cultures with the visualization of neuronal activity in Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles.
Our in vitro and in vivo data show that neurons sense their connectivity and can modify their synaptic properties accordingly. What are the molecular mechanisms used by synapses to adapt their individual properties in the context of circuit changes? Are there conserved molecular programs activated by neurons after normal synapse loss? Can neurons quantify their synapse numbers? These are some of the fundamental questions addressed by our group with the aim of identifying new molecular interplays relevant to synaptic homeostasis.