My research aims to investigate Synaptic Diversity in Health and Disease of the nervous system.  I investigate the synaptic connections between neurons in the nervous system, how supporting cells interact with synapses, and the mechanisms of Motor Neuron Disease. I am an expert in super-resolution microscopy and experienced in a broad range of neuroscience techniques.

The chemical communication junctions between all our neurons, synapses, are highly complex and diverse. Synapses are often vulnerable in the early stages of numerous nervous system disorders, but not all synapses are the same - therefore not all synapses are equally vulnerable. One of my main research goals is to identify vulnerable types of synapses, with a view towards preserving them to treat the disease. 

Astrocytes, one of the main forms of glial cells, are thought to respond to neural activity, and signal back to the neurons using a variety of gliotransmitters. Astrocytes are thought to not only be important for basic nervous system physiology, but are also crucial in diseases of the nervous system. Using live imaging methods, and chemic-genetic tools of manipulation, investigate the role of astrocytes in the spinal cord neuronal networks that underlie rhythmic locomotor activity. Furtheremore, astrocytes make specialised contacts with some synapses, called tripartite synapses. These tripartite synapses may be uniquely vulnerable to degeneration in motor neuron disease.