2024 BNA Scholars announced
15th March 2024
Candidate has to carry out neurochemical/neurobiological work and to supervise students working on common projects including neurobiology of aging and neuropharmacology.
As to neurobiology of aging and memory: Aging does not mean a homogeneous population and indeed grouping is necessary to differentiate animals with unimpaired from animals with impaired memory in aging. We observed first proteins that discriminate good from bad performers in spatial memory but this research has to be extended at the proteomic, RNA, lipid, immunohistochemical and electrophysiological level.
As to neuropharmacology, having synthetized a group of compounds that show cognitive enhancing activities in the aging rodent, we now are dealing with the downstream mechanisms:
the compound is targeting and inhibiting the dopamine transporter that results into increased synaptic dopamine levels that in turn are activating downstream effectors from dopamine receptors.
Animal experiments are taken care of by people already in the team as are organic syntheses of active compounds and in vivo electrophysiology.
Proteomics in terms of LC-MS is running in our laboratory warranting abovementioned studies.
Candidate should have skills in cell culture, basic neurochemistry, immunohistochemistry and should have been publishing as a first author in a high impact factor journal.