James L. McGaugh Distinguished Seminar Series

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 11:00am

The seminar will be In-Person.

Anna Victoria Molofsky, MD, Ph.D.

Samuel Barondes Professor of Neurobiology and Psychiatry

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

University of California, San Francisco

“Cytokine regulation of brain development and plasticity”

Abstract:

The immune system shapes healthy brain function and is implicated in many neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Our lab studies these links between the immune system and the brain, with a particular focus on homeostatic roles of neuroimmune signaling in brain development, learning, and memory. We have identified novel mechanisms through which cytokines regulate brain development and synaptic plasticity,  including the finding that microglia remodel the extracellular matrix to promote synapse plasticity via the cytokine Interleukin-33. More recently, the lab has found that Type I interferons drive microglia to eliminate a subset of neurons during brain development and has identified Interleukin-13 as a cytokine that promotes inhibitory synapse formation. These studies demonstrate that distinct aspects of neural circuits can be regulated by different immune pathways, with implications for many diseases in which the immune system may be involved, including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and others.

About:

Our group aims to understand the complex interactions between multiple cell types within the brain, including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, and in particular, to define how innate immune signals shape healthy brain development, plasticty, and aging, both within the brain and in communication with peripheral immunity. Our goal is to achieve a cellular and molecular understanding of brain-immune communication that can inform new immune-based therapies for psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative illnesses. LEARN MORE