MYELIN AND CIRCUIT PLASTICITY

Welcome! We study the cellular interactions between neurons and oligodendrocytes, which produce myelin in the central nervous system.

Myelination - the process by which oligodendrocytes ensheath neuronal axons with myelin - increases action potential conduction velocity, thus enabling rapid and precise brain signaling.

The inherent stability of myelin, along with the brain’s ability to generate new sheaths and selectively remodel existing ones throughout life, make it an optimal cellular toggle between neuronal circuit preservation and reorganization. Our goal is to understand how oligodendrocytes and myelin influence circuit maturation and plasticity in the healthy brain, as well as how disruptions in neuron-myelin interactions contribute to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.