Description:

Dr. Kimberley Tolias, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Neuroscience
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine

Abstract:

The human brain contains billions of neurons interconnected via trillion of synaptic connections into functional networks that give rise to perception, cognition, and behavior. The organization of neurons into complex circuits involves a series of highly regulated steps, culminating in the formation and refinement of synapses, which mediate information flow and storage in the brain. Synapses continue to remodel throughout life, which is important for processes like learning and memory. Failure to properly develop or maintain neural circuits underlies a wide array of disorders, including intellectual disability, autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s Disease.Moreover, maladaptive circuit remodeling can result in conditions like chronic pain, depression, and cognitive decline. The long-term goal of research in my laboratory is to unravel the intricate molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern neural circuit formation and plasticity in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and to harness this knowledge to develop noveltherapeutic interventions for CNS disorders. In this talk, I will present our recent efforts to characterize the role of the actin cytoskeletal regulator Tiam1 in controlling synaptic remodeling important for both learning and memory and chronic pain-related disorders.