I study the interactions of glial cells and neurons in the central nervous system. The glial cells I focus on are called oligodendrocytes. Oligodendrocytes make myelin, the fatty insulating protection around axons. Myelin and oligodendrocytes are a lot more interesting than people originally thought, and we now think that oligodendrocytes are active players in neuronal communication and may be vital for motor learning, memory, and normal behaviors. I am especially interested in how neurons and oligodendrocytes/myelin interact with neurons, and whether the interactions adapt to facilitate sensory processing in the olfactory system.
I am a member of the Macklin and Restrepo labs at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Because I am part of two awesome labs, I get to combine my interests in cellular neuroscience (Macklin Lab) with systems neuroscience (Restrepo Lab) to try to understand how different cell types work together to allow us to learn and think.
I post some of my presentations on Figshare. See my academic CV for a full listing.