School of Medicine
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Kimberley Tolias
Professor (Research) of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe human brain is composed of billions of neurons connected through trillions of synapses that form the neural circuits underlying thought, emotion, learning, memory, and behavior. These synaptic connections are not static - they are continuously shaped and remodeled throughout life in response to experience, a processes critical for learning and memory. When neural circuits fail to develop or function properly, the consequences can be devastating, contributing to conditions ranging from autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability to chronic pain, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive decline.
Research in the Tolias laboratory seeks to understand the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern how neural circuits form, adapt, and repair themselves in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Our work focuses on how neurons sense signals from their environment and convert them into intracellular signaling pathways that drive synapse formation and remodeling, dendritic and axonal growth, and cell migration. We are also interested in how disruption of these pathways contributes to neurological and neuropsychiatric disease, and whether targeting specific signaling mechanisms can promote recovery following CNS injury or disease.
The laboratory combines mouse genetics with molecular, cellular, biochemical, electrophysiological, genomic, and behavioral approaches to bridge fundamental neuroscience with translational discovery.
Current Research Areas:
- Molecular mechanisms regulating synapse development, neural circuit formation, and synaptic plasticity during learning and memory
- Roles of Rho GTPase signaling pathways in brain development, circuit remodeling, and neurological disease
- Functions of Adhesion-GPCRs in synapse development, dendritic and axonal growth, and neural circuit function
- Mechanisms underlying chronic pain, opioid tolerance, and chronic pain-associated mood and cognitive disorders
- Synaptic and circuit dysfunction following traumatic brain injury, radiotherapy, and other CNS injuries
- Development of new tools to visualize and map synaptic remodeling during learning and disease
- Interactions between the gut microbiome, brain development, neural circuit function, and behavior
