Areas of Interest

Research Interests

Structure-Function in Ion Channels.

In the brain, excitatory synapses represent the primary means of information processing by neuronal circuits. Glutamate receptors are the major mediators of excitatory synaptic signals and play an important role in the regulation of synaptic strength, learning, memory, and neuropathologies. Based on agonist affinity profiles are subdivided in: AMPA, NMDA, kainate and delta receptors. The molecular composition, structural organization, signaling function, and their coupling to auxiliary proteins modify the biophysical and pharmacological properties. Our goal is to understand the structure and function of glutamate receptors, their modulation by auxiliary proteins and their pharmacological properties, using electrophysiology, high-resolution microscopy, molecular biology and smFRET measurements.