Neurophysiology
This program is interested in the physiology of the nervous system and the pathophysiology of different central and peripheral pathological states. In particular, establishing the role of different ion channels implicated in shaping the excitability of sensory neurons of the dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia, and determining which alterations occur during injury, inflammatory, neuropathic or ocular pain and itch. Another research area of the group is glutamatergic signaling. This research is mainly focused on the study of the functional interaction between AMPARs and auxiliary subunits and other interacting proteins, which determine this glutamate receptor function at the synapse. Other lines of research include functional studies on NMDARs with newly synthesized blocking compounds and positive allosteric modulators in the framework of neurodevelopmental conditions resulting from de novo mutations of NMDAR-encoding genes. Another line of research focuses on the purinergic signaling between microglia and neurons and their involvement in Alzheimer’s Disease. Finally, congenital glycosylation alterations of ion channels involved in cerebellar dysfunctions are also investigated.
Principal Investigators
Xavier Altafaj
Associate Professor
Gerard Callejo
Assistant Professor
Nuria Comes
Associate Professor
Xavier Gasull
Full Professor
David Soto
Associate Professor
Mar Puigdellivol
Assistant Professor
Mercé Izquierdo-Serra
Assistant Professor
Technologies & Methods
- Electrophysiology (patch-clamp in cell lines, primary neurons and glial cells, ex vivo hippocampal slices, field recordings, intracellular recordings)
- Molecular biology
- Biochemistry
- Calcium imaging
- Behavioral neuroscience (i.e. rotarod, open field, novel object recognition, Barnes test, Morris water maze, Sociability, …)
- Animal models of pathology
- Neuropharmacology
- Ex vivo and organotypic brain slices
- Primary neuronal cultures
- Primary glial cultures
- Immunofluorescence
- Histology
- Confocal microscopy
- Gene therapy
- Optogenetics/optopharmacology
Research Team
Arcadi Gual
Emeritus Professor
Roberto Garcia
Early Stage Researcher
Silvia Locubiche
Early Stage Researcher
Anna Pujol
Early Stage Researcher
Sara Abello
Technician
Anna Priscil·la Perez
Technician
Aida Castellanos
Postdoctoral Researcher
Irene Pallas
Technician
Julia Limós
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Helena Lluis
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Maria Isabel Bahamonde
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Uxía Fraga
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Javi Picañol
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Yxia Jin
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Paula Alemany
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Jaime Soto
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Active Projects
Evaluation of Autism SpEctrum Disorder in children with Cerebral Palsy (EASED-CP)
Unió Europea. 101066954. Maria del Roser Pueyo.
Jóvenes Activos, Mente Sana: Estrategias para la salud cerebral y el bienestar psicológico en jóvenes: un estudio aleatorizado de métodomixto con y sin realidad virtual
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN). PID2022-137776OB-I00. Maria Mataro.
Factores psicológicos de riesgo y protección en relación a la cognición, estilos de vida y medidas de integridad y funcionalidad cerebralesen personas de edad avanzada
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN). PID2022-137234OB-I00. David Bartres-Faz.
Ajut per incentivar i consolidar la recerca d’excel·lència ja existent a les universitats públiques de Catalunya. Programa ICREA Academia 2018.
Fundació Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA). Lluís Fuentemilla.
Ajut per incentivar i consolidar la recerca d’excel·lència ja existent a les universitats públiques de Catalunya. Programa ICREA Academia 2019.
Fundació Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA). David Bartres-Faz.
Home-based non-invasive brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: feasibility, efficacy and biomarker of treatment response
Fundació La Marató de TV3. 202211-31. David Bartres-Faz.
Characterization and modulation of brain networks to promote brain resilience for the COVID-19 pandemic
Fundació La Marató de TV3. 592/U/2021. David Bartres-Faz.
CARACTERIZACIÓN DE LA ADICCIÓN Y LA PATOLOGÍA DUAL. EFICACIA DE LA CRONOTERAPIA COADYUVANTE EN PACIENTES CON RESPUESTA PARCIAL
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. PID2020-117767GB-I00. Ana Adan.
Guías basadas en la evidencia y consensuadas para la evaluación neuropsicológica de las personas con parálisis cerebral grave y parálisis cerebral discinética
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN). PID2020-117163RB-I00. Maria del Roser Pueyo.
Lifestyle-SVD: Exploring the Impact of Lifestyle Factors on Cognitive and Emotional
National Academy of Neuropsychology. Maria Mataro I Claudia Peñaloza.
Ajuts als projectes no finançats a la convocatòria del Pla Estatal PID2022 del Ministeri de Ciència i Innovació
Universitat de Barcelona. Jaume del Valle.
Selected publications
Ballasch, I., García-García, E., Vila, C., Pérez-González, A., Sancho-Balsells, A., Fernández, J., Soto, D., Puigdellívol, M., Gasull, X., Alberch, J., Rodríguez, M. J., Canals, J. M., & Giralt, A. (2023). Ikzf1 as a novel regulator of microglial homeostasis in inflammation and neurodegeneration. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 109, 144–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.01.016
den Hollander, B., Veenvliet, A. R. J., Rothuizen-Lindenschot, M., van Essen, P., Peters, G., Santos-Gómez, A., Olivella, M., Altafaj, X., Brands, M. M., Jacobs, B. A. W., & van Karnebeek, C. D. (2023). Evidence for effect of l-serine, a novel therapy for GRIN2B-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, 138(3), 107523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgme.2023.107523
Dundee, J. M., Puigdellívol, M., Butler, R., & Brown, G. C. (2023). P2Y 6 Receptor-Dependent Microglial Phagocytosis of Synapses during Development Regulates Synapse Density and Memory. The Journal of Neuroscience, 43(48), 8090–8103. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1089-23.2023
Dundee, J. M., Puigdellívol, M., Butler, R., Cockram, T. O. J., & Brown, G. C. (2023). P2Y 6 receptor‐dependent microglial phagocytosis of synapses mediates synaptic and memory loss in aging. Aging Cell, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13761
Gual-Sala, A. (2023). La inteligencia artificial y la educación médica (I): la revolución profesional. Revista de La Fundación Educación Médica, 26(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.33588/fem.262.1271
Iborra‐Lázaro, G., Djebari, S., Sánchez‐Rodríguez, I., Gratacòs‐Batlle, E., Sánchez‐Fernández, N., Radošević, M., Casals, N., Navarro‐López, J. de D., Soto del Cerro, D., & Jiménez‐Díaz, L. (2023). CPT1C is required for synaptic plasticity and oscillatory activity that supports motor, associative and non‐associative learning. The Journal of Physiology, 601(16), 3533–3556. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP284248
Jurado, A., Ulldemolins, A., Lluís, H., Gasull, X., Gavara, N., Sunyer, R., Otero, J., Gozal, D., Almendros, I., & Farré, R. (2023). Fast cycling of intermittent hypoxia in a physiomimetic 3D environment: A novel tool for the study of the parenchymal effects of sleep apnea. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.1081345
Landra-Willm, A., Karapurkar, A., Duveau, A., Chassot, A. A., Esnault, L., Callejo, G., Bied, M., Häfner, S., Lesage, F., Wdziekonski, B., Baron, A., Fossat, P., Marsollier, L., Gasull, X., Boué-Grabot, E., Kienzler, M. A., & Sandoz, G. (2023). A photoswitchable inhibitor of TREK channels controls pain in wild-type intact freely moving animals. Nature Communications, 14(1), 1160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36806-4
Millá, E., Ventura-Abreu, N., Vendrell, C., Muniesa, M. J., Pazos, M., Gasull, X., & Comes, N. (2023). Differential Gene and Protein Expression of Conjunctival Bleb Hyperfibrosis in Early Failure of Glaucoma Surgery. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(15), 11949. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241511949
Pedraza, N., Monserrat, M. V., Ferrezuelo, F., Torres-Rosell, J., Colomina, N., Miguez-Cabello, F., Párraga, J. P., Soto, D., López-Merino, E., García-Vilela, C., Esteban, J. A., Egea, J., & Garí, E. (2023). Cyclin D1—Cdk4 regulates neuronal activity through phosphorylation of GABAA receptors. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 80(10), 280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-023-04920-7
Sala, A. G. (2023). Recertificación de los médicos: versión 3.0. FMC – Formación Médica Continuada En Atención Primaria, 30(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmc.2022.09.004
Tran, M. N., Medveczki, T., Besztercei, B., Torok, G., Szabo, A. J., Gasull, X., Kovacs, I., Fekete, A., & Hodrea, J. (2023). Sigma-1 Receptor Activation Is Protective against TGFβ2-Induced Extracellular Matrix Changes in Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells. Life, 13(7), 1581. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071581