Synaptic neurophysiology (Prof. Cingolani)

Research Strand: 

 

Lorenzo Cingolani

Associate Professor in Physiology (BIO/09)

Phone:  +39 040 5588728
Email:    lcingolani@units.it
Skype:   la.cingolani
Twitter: @CingolaniLab

 

Biosketch

After graduating in Molecular Biology at the University of Pisa (Italy), I obtained a Ph.D. fellowship to work at the Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen (Germany). Here, I specialized in electrophysiology under the guidance of Prof. Walter Stühmer and Prof. Paola Pedarzani, receiving a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the Humboldt University of Berlin in 2002.

Driven by my interests in synaptic physiology, I joined Dr. Yukiko Goda’s research group at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular and Cell Biology - University College London (UCL, UK) as a postdoctoral fellow and research associate. In this innovative and integrative research environment, I identified a previously unsuspected requirement for integrin adhesion complexes in homeostatic synaptic plasticity. These findings highlighted the importance of biomechanical properties of the brain in health and disease.

In 2012, I established my laboratory at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT; Genoa). With the aim of elucidating the molecular bases of functional connectivity in the brain, we demonstrated that alternative splicing of Ca2+ channels is crucial in shaping synaptic strength. Furthermore, we implemented optogenetic and genome editing approaches to translate our latest findings into rational therapeutic strategies for autism, epilepsy and ataxia.

In 2019, I joined the University of Trieste as Associate Professor of Physiology, where I direct the Laboratory of Synaptic Neurophysiology.

Info

Last update: 11-04-2024 - 23:30