Synaptic Physiology

Our group studies the properties of the receptors that form the excitatory synapses and that make possible the transmission of information in the brain. To this end we use electrophysiological tools, cellular and molecular biology as well as imaging techniques and transgenic animal models. In particular, we study the kainate type of glutamate receptors and how at presynaptic level they regulate neurotransmitter release and postsynaptically mediate the transmission of information. We are interested to find out how these receptors are involved in neuronal maturation, how they are regulated by interacting proteins, and how they may have a role in diseases such as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy.