Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions Lab

Understanding the mechanisms underlying brain functions is the ultimate challenge in neuroscience research. A potential way to get closer to this seemingly unreachable goal would be to take a reductionist approach. That is to split complex brain functions into the simplest possible units, for which synaptic transmission would be a strong candidate. Neuronal synapses, where synaptic transmission occurs, however, are formed and regulated by a large number of synaptic proteins, ranging from hundreds to thousands. Deciphering the detailed functions of these proteins would be a daunting task. However, some of the synaptic proteins would be more important than others, and their defects would cause significant abnormalities in neural circuits and brain functions, which have been termed “synaptopathy”. Synaptopathies are thought to underlie diverse neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, autism, and emotional disturbances. Exploring disease-causing mechanisms along the hierarchy of synaptopathies is another main challenge in neuroscience. Luckily, however, animal models including transgenic mice carrying human mutations are providing important clues to synaptopathies. Our lab will explore the mechanisms underlying various neuropsychiatric disorders by focusing on defects in synaptic development, structure, function, and plasticity, and also abnormalities in neural circuits at the brain system level. These key mechanisms will help us better diagnose and treat mental illnesses and eventually understand higher brain functions that lie on the flip sides of mental illnesses, including consciousness, attention, intellect, sociability, and emotion. 도저히 도달할 수 없을 것 같은 이 목표에 가까이 다가갈 수 있는 하나의 방법은 아마도 환원주의적 접근일