Our lab seeks to understand mechanisms employed by cells and tissues to maintain metabolic homeostasis. We are broadly interested in how secreted hormones control various aspects of sugar and fat metabolism. Our current efforts centered on addressing how fat...
The focus of our research is to identify mechanisms of protein synthesis-dependent neuronal plasticity. The approach uses differential cloning techniques to identify mRNAs that are rapidly induced in neurons by synaptic activity. Classical studies established that rapid, de novo...
Our laboratory is interested in the area of sensory transduction: specifically visual and olfactory transductions, which are the processes by which the senses of vision and olfaction are initiated. These two processes have interesting similarities and differences. Vision can...
The overarching goal of our laboratory is to characterize a novel endogenous protective signaling network of mammalian cells and tissues to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying disease and to highlight novel therapeutic avenues. Cells and tissues respond...
Our laboratory studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the perception of pain under healthy conditions and in the setting of pathology. Towards this goal, we utilize a wide spectrum of approaches including behavioral analysis, in vivo and in...
The nervous system consists of a great variety of neurons and glia that together form the components and circuits necessary for nervous system function. Neuronal and glial diversity are generated through a series of highly orchestrated events that control...
My lab studies the cellular and molecular basis of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Neuronal signaling events at synapses determine circuit responses and result in specific behavioral outputs. This signaling is dynamic – modulated by synapse activity history and perceived...
We study the structure and function of the cell nucleus, ‘mothership’ of the human genome. We seek to understand how nuclear envelope (NE) membrane proteins interact with nuclear intermediate filament (‘lamina’) networks and other partners to collectively establish, protect...
A fundamental property of living cells is their extraordinary ability to sense and respond to a changing environment. In higher eukaryotes, malfunctioning of signaling networks has many devastating consequences such as cancer, diabetes or autoimmunity. Such consequences arise from...
Our work bridges from biochemical to preclinical translational studies to harness the power of glycobiology for therapeutic benefits. All cells are endowed with a diverse coat of glycans, their “glycocalyx,” which represents the face of the cell to the...