Speaker: Wei Lu, Ph.D., NINDS Senior Investigator
Seminar Title: Molecular regulation of synaptic inhibition
Part of the NIH Director's Seminar Series
Format: Virtual--https://videocast.nih.gov/
Date/Time: Friday, July 28th from 12 noon to 1 pm
Background on Dr. Lu’s research: The vast majority of fast inhibitory transmission in the brain is mediated by GABA acting on GABAA receptors (GABAARs), which provides inhibitory balance to excitatory drive and controls neuronal output. Dysregulations of GABAARs and inhibitory synapses have been implicated in a variety of brain disorders, such as epilepsy, anxiety and depression. Pharmacological intervention for these disorders relies on several drug classes that target GABAARs, such as benzodiazepines and neurosteroids. The goal of Dr. Lu's laboratory is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the regulation of GABAARs and inhibitory synapses in health and disease. In this lecture, Dr. Lu will discuss the regulation of the GABAAR and its psychopharmacology by newly discovered transmembrane auxiliary subunits, and the therapeutic potential of signaling pathways at inhibitory synapses in brain disorders.
