Understanding the molecular mechanisms of intellectual disability. Intellectual disability is frequent in the population, with one in every fifty people in the world directly affected. This project will improve our understanding of the correct development and function of the brain required for cognition by investigating specific roles and regulation of key molecules involved.
Functional analysis of long noncoding RNAs expressed in the brain. For many years, the mammalian genome has been thought to be mainly junk. Recently, however, it has become evident that most of the genome specifies RNAs that do not encode proteins ('long noncoding' RNAs, lncRNAs), many of which are brain-specific. This project aims to determine the functions of lncRNAs that are expressed in the hippocampus (involved in learning) and the cerebellum (involved in movement coordination) by deleting ....Functional analysis of long noncoding RNAs expressed in the brain. For many years, the mammalian genome has been thought to be mainly junk. Recently, however, it has become evident that most of the genome specifies RNAs that do not encode proteins ('long noncoding' RNAs, lncRNAs), many of which are brain-specific. This project aims to determine the functions of lncRNAs that are expressed in the hippocampus (involved in learning) and the cerebellum (involved in movement coordination) by deleting them in mice, testing for developmental, cognitive and motor effects, and characterising the structures with which they are associated. The results of the project are expected to open new vistas in neuroscience, contributing to understanding the molecular basis of brain function and the 'dark matter' of the genome.Read moreRead less
Role of micro-RNAs in learning and memory of insects. This project will investigate how small molecules in the brain, so-called micro RNAs, regulate processes underlying learning and memory formation. The outcomes will provide new knowledge on the specific function of these molecules in the brain, and help us understand their role in cognitive disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
Dopaminergic mechanisms of visual selective attention in the fly. What we pay attention to guides our behaviour. There is increasing evidence that even the smallest animals, such as insects, have a selective attention. Neuromodulators such as dopamine (DA) regulate general arousal states in flies as well as humans, but it is not well understood how DA modulates selective attention. This project will genetically manipulate DA in the fly Drosophila in order to study its role in visual selective at ....Dopaminergic mechanisms of visual selective attention in the fly. What we pay attention to guides our behaviour. There is increasing evidence that even the smallest animals, such as insects, have a selective attention. Neuromodulators such as dopamine (DA) regulate general arousal states in flies as well as humans, but it is not well understood how DA modulates selective attention. This project will genetically manipulate DA in the fly Drosophila in order to study its role in visual selective attention, by: examining neural circuits; attention behaviour; and, brain recordings. Our work will reveal whether DA mainly controls general responsiveness levels, or whether DA is also involved in coordinating attention dynamics. This study has important implications for understanding attention disorders.Read moreRead less