• Synapse formation and synaptic plasticity
• Psychiatric and neurological disorders including schizophrenia, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 

Highly efficient communication among neurons and between a neuron and a target cell is made possible by synapses, contacts formed between two neurons. We study the mechanisms of synapse formation and how synapses reshape in response to environmental change. Our goal is to understand mechanisms underlying these processes and what goes wrong at synapses in psychiatric and neurological diseases. Our studies will identify targets to develop therapeutic strategies for treating disorders whose pathogenesis involves abnormal synaptic structure. They include schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism, muscular dystrophy and ALS.

In one project, we study functions of susceptibility genes of mental disorders and generate mutant mice that model various brain disorders including autism and schizophrenia. For example, we show that mutation of ErbB4, a schizophrenia susceptibility gene, causes schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice. These mouse models will contribute to a better understanding of schizophrenia and other disorders, including epilepsy and autism.  Our second project is to investigate synapse formation using as a model the neuromuscular junction, a peripheral synapse. We are interested in how nerves, muscle fibers, and glial cells communicate to direct synapse formation. Results of this project contribute a better understanding of muscular dystrophy and ALS.

I came to Georgia because of the vision of the leadership at the Medical College of Georgia and the Georgia Research Alliance and because of a creative and productive environment.