Research

The adult brain has a remarkable capacity to reorganize after stroke, yet spontaneous recovery is often incomplete. While neurons are essential for rebuilding damaged circuits, they do not act alone. Astrocytes play critical roles in coordinating the brain's response to injury.

Astrocytes have been studied for their roles in regulating neuroinflammation and forming the glial scar after stroke. We now recognize that their functions are far more complex. Astrocytes can both support and limit recovery, depending on the molecular pathways they activate, the brain region in which they are located, and the stage of recovery.

Our research investigates how astrocytes reactivate developmental mechanisms that normally promote synapse formation and stabilization. Following stroke, however, these same mechanisms can become dysregulated, ultimately restricting the brain's capacity for repair. We have identified molecular pathways that become overactive after injury and discovered that their effects are highly dependent on both brain region and time after stroke.

By understanding how astrocyte responses change across time and brain region, we aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms that drive adaptive plasticity and harness the brain's own capacity for repair.

The adult brain has an extraordinary capacity to adapt throughout life. This ability, known as plasticity, underlies learning, memory, and recovery after injury. However, plasticity declines with aging and is often compromised in neurological disease. While neurons have traditionally been viewed as the primary drivers of plasticity, increasing evidence shows that astrocytes actively regulate how synapses are formed, remodeled, and stabilized. 

For the past decade, we have investigated how astrocytes control the molecular mechanisms that support brain plasticity. By understanding how these cells influence synapse formation, maturation, and stabilization, we aim to identify pathways that could one day be targeted to enhance the brain's capacity to adapt and recover. 

Our laboratory is currently investigating ketamine, an anesthetic best known for its effects on neurons and plasticity potential, to determine whether it also acts through astrocytes. Our research has revealed that ketamine alters the expression of astrocytic proteins involved in regulating brain plasticity. We are now exploring whether these molecular changes contribute to the brain's adaptive response after stroke and may reveal new therapeutic opportunities for promoting recovery.