Prof. Uri Ashery
Research work
Learning and memory in health and disease. Our team focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory, and their link to neurodegenerative diseases.
Our lab combines multidisciplinary approaches such as electrophysiology, Multi electrode array, super-resolution microscopy (dSTORM and STED), Molecular biology, animal behavior study and computer modeling to study synaptic plasticity and correlate between molecular changes and synaptic function and dysfunction. Our main focus currently is on the following directions:
- Investigating synaptic plasticity processes at the hippocampal mossy fiber synapses and understanding the mechanisms of cAMP dependent synaptic plasticity.
- Elucidating the mitigating effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse models.
- Identifying early biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Investigating the effect of alpha-synuclein aggregation on neuronal activity.
Areas of interest & scientific knowledge
Brain Disorders Research
Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience
System & Physiological Neuroscience
Specialization
Selected Publications
- Wegrzynowicz M, Bar-On D, Calo’ L, et al. Depopulation of dense α-synuclein aggregates is associated with rescue of dopamine neuron dysfunction and death in a new Parkinson’s disease model. Acta Neuropathol. 2019 May; doi:10.1007/s00401-019-02023-x
- Shapira R, Solomon B, Efrati S, Frenkel D, Ashery U. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy ameliorates pathophysiology of 3xTg-AD mouse model by attenuating neuroinflammation. Neurobiol Aging. 2018 Feb;62:105–19
- Ben-Simon Y, Rodenas-Ruano A, Alviña K, Lam AD, Stuenkel EL, Castillo PE, et al. A Combined Optogenetic-Knockdown Strategy Reveals a Major Role of Tomosyn in Mossy Fiber Synaptic Plasticity. Cell Rep. 2015 Jul 21;12(3):396–404.
- Lipstein N, Sakaba T, Cooper BH, Lin K-H, Strenzke N, Ashery U, et al. Dynamic control of synaptic vesicle replenishment and short-term plasticity by Ca(2+)-calmodulin-Munc13-1 signaling. Neuron. 2013 Jul 10;79(1):82–96
- Lavi A, Sheinin A, Shapira R, Zelmanoff D, Ashery U. DOC2B and Munc13-1 differentially regulate neuronal network activity. Cereb Cortex. 2014 Sep;24(9):2309-23. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bht081.
