Research/Areas of Interest:
Glutamate is the major fast excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Mechanistic studies on glutamate receptor regulation and trafficking are feasible in the model organism C. elegans, which has a well-defined nervous system and ability to perform several simple, quantifiable behaviors. The circuit mediating one such behavior, the nose touch response, depends on the correct expression and localization of the AMPA-like glutamate receptor GLR-1. Using a combination of molecular biology techniques, genetics, and behavioral assays, I am characterizing three hits from an RNAi screen that identified genes that when disrupted cause defective nose touch responses.
Education
BS, Neuroscience, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA