Biography & Research:
My group studies how synapses remodel their protein composition through local protein synthesis. We seek to understand the ways in which changes in ion channel and receptor density may influence synaptic integration and the threshold for neuronal firing. Our studies are grounded in how many neurological disorders, which include Alzheimer’s Disease and comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders, may be considered disorders with dysregulated protein synthesis, leading to aberrant ion channel function, synaptic strength, loss of synapses. My background has provided me with specific training in areas that are fundamental to this application. During my PhD training with Dr. Carol Vandenberg at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I developed biochemical approaches toward studying the structure and function of ion channels. During my postdoctoral training in Dr. Lily Jan’s Lab at UCSF, I developed sophisticated techniques to study local translation in dendrites. As a Principal Investigator, my lab utilizes molecular tools, live calcium imaging, proteomics, RNA sequencing, convergence circuit mapping, and behavior to establish key and novel roles for RNA binding proteins in the dendritic expression and function of synaptic proteins.