Keith Murai
Professor
The overarching goal of my research program is to understand how neural connections are formed, remodeled, and maintained in the brain and to transform this knowledge into a better understanding of learning/memory processes and brain disorders/diseases. More precisely, my research focuses on: (1) Understanding neuron-glial communication during brain development and its relationship to neurodevelopmental disorders including Fragile X and Down syndrome, and intellectual disability, and (2) Discovering mechanisms regulating synaptic plasticity and memory formation in the healthy and diseased brain. We are actively working to translate our basic discoveries into effective treatments for developmental brain disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.