School of Medicine
Showing 11,401-11,410 of 13,033 Results
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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 -
Sarina Tom
Associate Director for Education Operations, Pediatrics
Current Role at StanfordEducation Operations Manager
Office of Pediatric Education
Stanford Department of Pediatrics -
Antonio Tomasso
Postdoctoral Scholar, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
BioAntonio Tomasso is an NWO Rubicon Postdoctoral Scholar. As part of his MSc in Medical Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, he explored the immunomodulatory and neurotrophic roles of neural stem cells (NSCs) following spinal cord injury. As a Research Assistant at Karolinska Institute, he delved into the signaling pathways required for NSC activation and migration after spinal cord injury, and the limited regenerative abilities of mouse and human heart.
During his PhD, he investigated the molecular mechanisms of tissue regeneration in planarians, axolotls and spiny mice. He conducted research as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Kentucky and the Hubrecht Institute.
His research demonstrated that MAPK/ERK signaling acts as a molecular switch between regeneration and fibrosis in adult mammals and can be activated to stimulate a regenerative response, including new hair follicle formation, in scarring wounds.
He contributed to a pioneering study showing that spiny mice can recover heart function after infarct through enhanced angiogenesis, ECM remodeling and epicardium regeneration. He also played a key role in spatial transcriptomic studies that defined regenerative and fibrotic gene signatures in spiny mice, laboratory mice and gerbils.
He earned a PhD cum laude in Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine.
He has been awarded an NWO Dutch Research Council Rubicon Postdoctoral grant to conduct research on the molecular drivers of fibroblast activation in wound healing and organ fibrosis.
His ultimate research aim is to crack the code of tissue regeneration and rejuvenation, reversing organ scarring and preventing fibrosis in injuries and pathological conditions, through the identification of therapeutic targets for enhanced tissue repair and functional recovery.
Driven by his innate curiosity and passion for science, he loves tackling new challenges, thinking outside the box, and building interdisciplinary collaborations to push forward the boundaries of knowledge.
His career goal is to serve as a group leader, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive, achieve their goals and leave a lasting impact through community-building and scientific discoveries for the benefit of humankind. -
Lucy Tompkins
Lucy Becker Professor of Medicine, Emerita
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGenetic and cellular basis of pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori. Molecular epidemiology, hospital epidemiology, quality improvement in healthcare associated infections.
