Bernardo Luis Sabatini

Advanced understanding of cellular mechanisms controlling formation and strength of synapses in the mammalian brain. Uses biophysical approaches in his lab to examine structure and function of individual synaptic terminals. Pioneered the super-resolution and photoactivation multiphoton optical techniques necessary for such studies. Discovered cellular specializations that isolate biochemical and electrical signaling cascades at each postsynaptic terminal and permit dynamic control of synaptic response to glutamate released by the associated presynaptic terminal. These highly localized cascades are sites of regulation of neuromodulators such as dopamine and acetylcholine, contributing to the mechanisms of memory formation. Gene mutations associated with neuropsychiatric diseases perturb these processes, inducing defects in structure and function of glutamatergic synapses that may contribute to pathogenesis of autism spectrum and Alzheimer's disorders. Recently, demonstrated that similar mechanisms act during development, mediating a direct competition between neighboring neurons that determines the pace of synapse formation.