Topic: metabolic activity

Develop theory for neuronal and metabolic activity in brain organoids, including sleep–wake behaviour, in the J. M. Schwarz Theory Group. Research connects physical learning and multiscale mechanics with experimental observations, collaborating with Orly Reiner and Yaakov Nahmias. The role includes student mentoring and an on-campus research presence. The initial appointment is one year with a possible second year. The employer lists the position as open until filled; the earlier priority-review date has passed.

Microglia are the brain macrophages, eliciting multifaceted functions to maintain brain homeostasis across lifetime. To achieve this, microglia are able to sense a plethora of signals in their close environment. In the lab, we investigate the effect of nutrients on microglia function for several reasons: 1) Microglia express all the cellular machinery required to sense nutrients; 2) Eating habits have changed considerably over the last century, towards diets rich in fats and sugars; 3) This so-called "Western diet" is accompanied by an increase in the occurrence of neuropathologies, in which m

Studies of neural circuit plasticity focus almost exclusively on functional and structural changes of neuronal synapses. In recent years, however, myelin plasticity has emerged as a potential modulator of neuronal networks. Myelination of previously unmyelinated axons and changes in the structure on already-myelinated axons can have large effects on the function of neuronal networks. Yet myelination has been mostly studied in relation to its functional and metabolic activity. Myelin modifications are increasingly being implicated as a mechanism for sensory-motor learning and unpublished data f