Emilia Favuzzi
Assistant Professor of NeuroscienceCards
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Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
Biography
Emilia Favuzzi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Wu Tsai Institute at Yale University. She grew up in Italy and received a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Neurobiology from Sapienza University of Rome. She did her doctoral training at the Institute of Neuroscience in Alicante (Spain) and the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London. Her graduate research focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inhibitory circuit development and plasticity in the cerebral cortex. In her postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, she focused on microglia-inhibitory synapse interactions during development and discovered that specialized microglia differentially engage with specific synapse types. Her past work opened a new avenue in understanding neuroimmune crosstalk by showing that neuroimmune interactions within the brain may be as specific as those between neurons.
This novel conceptual framework is the foundation of the Favuzzi lab focused on the immune and glial mechanisms underlying brain wiring and function, with an emphasis on (1) interactions among neuronal and non-neuronal cells and (2) brain-body communication. Over the years, Emilia was awarded numerous prizes such as the Beddington Medal from the British Society for Developmental Biology, the Krieg Cortical Kudos Scholar Award from the Cajal Club, the Next Generation Leader by the Allen Institute, and the Gruber International Research Award.
Appointments
Neuroscience
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
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Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ORCID
0000-0003-4256-1490- View Lab Website
Favuzzi lab
Research at a Glance
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Synapses
Cerebral Cortex
Microglia
Neuronal Plasticity
Transcriptome
Neural Inhibition
Publications
2023
Nova proteins direct synaptic integration of somatostatin interneurons through activity-dependent alternative splicing
Ibrahim L, Wamsley B, Alghamdi N, Yusuf N, Sevier E, Hairston A, Sherer M, Jaglin X, Xu Q, Guo L, Jamayran A, Favuzzi E, Yuan Y, Dimidschstein J, Darnell R, Fishell G. Nova proteins direct synaptic integration of somatostatin interneurons through activity-dependent alternative splicing. ELife 2023, 12: e86842. PMID: 37347149, PMCID: PMC10287156, DOI: 10.7554/elife.86842.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlternative splicingSomatostatin interneuronsFamily of RNA-binding proteinsCortical circuit formationRNA-binding proteinsFamily of proteinsActivity-dependent alternative splicingNova familyMouse somatosensory cortexNOVA proteinsBear populationInhibitory cellsAxon formationSplicingSynaptic integrationGene expressionInterneuronsCircuit formationCortical circuitryActivity-dependentSomatosensory cortexSynapse formationBrain developmentSynaptic functionProteinThe brain's polymath: Emerging roles of microglia throughout brain development
Wong F, Favuzzi E. The brain's polymath: Emerging roles of microglia throughout brain development. Current Opinion In Neurobiology 2023, 79: 102700. PMID: 36848726, DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102700.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPotential contribution of microgliaResident brain immune cellsInfluence neuronal connectivityBrain immune cellsDevelopment of functional networksContribution of microgliaNeuronal circuit developmentElements of neural circuitsImmune cellsNeuronal activityExtracellular matrixSynapse pruningNeuron numberPrune synapsesMicrogliaBrain developmentNeuronal connectivityNeural circuitsBrain wiringCircuit developmentFunctional networksBrainIntegrative viewCircuit wiringIncreased understanding
2022
Microglia contribute to the postnatal development of cortical somatostatin-positive inhibitory cells and to whisker-evoked cortical activity
Gesuita L, Cavaccini A, Argunsah A, Favuzzi E, Ibrahim L, Stachniak T, De Gennaro M, Utz S, Greter M, Karayannis T. Microglia contribute to the postnatal development of cortical somatostatin-positive inhibitory cells and to whisker-evoked cortical activity. Cell Reports 2022, 40: 111209. PMID: 35977514, PMCID: PMC9396528, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111209.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsPublisher Correction: Viral manipulation of functionally distinct interneurons in mice, non-human primates and humans
Vormstein-Schneider D, Lin J, Pelkey K, Chittajallu R, Guo B, Arias-Garcia M, Allaway K, Sakopoulos S, Schneider G, Stevenson O, Vergara J, Sharma J, Zhang Q, Franken T, Smith J, Ibrahim L, Mastro K, Sabri E, Huang S, Favuzzi E, Burbridge T, Xu Q, Guo L, Vogel I, Sanchez V, Saldi G, Gorissen B, Yuan X, Zaghloul K, Devinsky O, Sabatini B, Batista-Brito R, Reynolds J, Feng G, Fu Z, McBain C, Fishell G, Dimidschstein J. Publisher Correction: Viral manipulation of functionally distinct interneurons in mice, non-human primates and humans. Nature Neuroscience 2022, 25: 1247-1247. PMID: 35945454, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01155-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2021
GABA-receptive microglia selectively sculpt developing inhibitory circuits
Favuzzi E, Huang S, Saldi G, Binan L, Ibrahim L, Fernández-Otero M, Cao Y, Zeine A, Sefah A, Zheng K, Xu Q, Khlestova E, Farhi S, Bonneau R, Datta S, Stevens B, Fishell G. GABA-receptive microglia selectively sculpt developing inhibitory circuits. Cell 2021, 184: 5686. PMID: 34715023, PMCID: PMC9122269, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.10.009.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMonitoring phagocytic uptake of amyloid β into glial cell lysosomes in real time
Prakash P, Jethava K, Korte N, Izquierdo P, Favuzzi E, Rose I, Guttenplan K, Manchanda P, Dutta S, Rochet J, Fishell G, Liddelow S, Attwell D, Chopra G. Monitoring phagocytic uptake of amyloid β into glial cell lysosomes in real time. Chemical Science 2021, 12: 10901-10918. PMID: 34476070, PMCID: PMC8372545, DOI: 10.1039/d1sc03486c.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAmyloid-bAlzheimer's diseaseStages of ADOrganelles of cellsRegulating brain functionPhagocytic mechanismsRemoved ABGlial cellsAcidic organellesCell lysosomesGreen fluorescenceExtracellular spaceImpaired phagocytic functionWorsened disease outcomeLive animalsPhagocytosisCellsPhagocytic functionNon-fluorescentLysosomesEnzymePhysiological pH.AlzheimerDisease outcomeMechanismGABA-receptive microglia selectively sculpt developing inhibitory circuits
Favuzzi E, Huang S, Saldi G, Binan L, Ibrahim L, Fernández-Otero M, Cao Y, Zeine A, Sefah A, Zheng K, Xu Q, Khlestova E, Farhi S, Bonneau R, Datta S, Stevens B, Fishell G. GABA-receptive microglia selectively sculpt developing inhibitory circuits. Cell 2021, 184: 4048-4063.e32. PMID: 34233165, PMCID: PMC9122259, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsInhibitory cortical synapsesBrain wiringResident immune cellsMouse postnatal developmentBehavioral abnormalitiesImmune cellsInhibitory circuitsSynaptic refinementGlial cell typesExcitatory synapsesCortical synapsesPostnatal developmentMicrogliaSynapse typesInhibitory connectionsCell typesBrainRemodeling programSynapsesAbnormalitiesGABA
2020
Viral manipulation of functionally distinct interneurons in mice, non-human primates and humans
Vormstein-Schneider D, Lin J, Pelkey K, Chittajallu R, Guo B, Arias-Garcia M, Allaway K, Sakopoulos S, Schneider G, Stevenson O, Vergara J, Sharma J, Zhang Q, Franken T, Smith J, Ibrahim L, Mastro K, Sabri E, Huang S, Favuzzi E, Burbridge T, Xu Q, Guo L, Vogel I, Sanchez V, Saldi G, Gorissen B, Yuan X, Zaghloul K, Devinsky O, Sabatini B, Batista-Brito R, Reynolds J, Feng G, Fu Z, McBain C, Fishell G, Dimidschstein J. Viral manipulation of functionally distinct interneurons in mice, non-human primates and humans. Nature Neuroscience 2020, 23: 1629-1636. PMID: 32807948, PMCID: PMC8015416, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0692-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRecombinant adeno-associated virus vectorAdeno-associated virus vectorVasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing interneuronsClasses of neuronsGene regulatory elementsGene SCN1AViral toolsNeuronal subtypesCerebral cortexViral manipulationTherapeutic interventionsVertebrate speciesNon-human primatesVirus vectorsGene expressionInterneuronsBrain regionsCircuit manipulationsExquisite specificityParvalbuminRegulatory landscapeNeuronsSCN1ASubtypesMice
2019
Distinct molecular programs regulate synapse specificity in cortical inhibitory circuits
Favuzzi E, Deogracias R, Marques-Smith A, Maeso P, Jezequel J, Exposito-Alonso D, Balia M, Kroon T, Hinojosa A, F Maraver E, Rico B. Distinct molecular programs regulate synapse specificity in cortical inhibitory circuits. Science 2019, 363: 413-417. PMID: 30679375, DOI: 10.1126/science.aau8977.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCortical inhibitory circuitsInhibitory circuitsClasses of GABAergic interneuronsInvestigate transcriptional dynamicsClasses of interneuronsConnectivity patternsAxon initial segmentGABAergic interneuronsMammalian cerebral cortexTranscriptional dynamicsCortical interneuronsPyramidal cellsSynapse specificityPostnatal developmentInterneuron diversityInterneuronsCerebral cortexMolecular mechanismsConnectivity motifsSynaptic moleculesBrain functionMolecular programsNeuronal connectivityInformation processingFunctional networks
2018
Rbfox1 Mediates Cell-type-Specific Splicing in Cortical Interneurons
Wamsley B, Jaglin X, Favuzzi E, Quattrocolo G, Nigro M, Yusuf N, Khodadadi-Jamayran A, Rudy B, Fishell G. Rbfox1 Mediates Cell-type-Specific Splicing in Cortical Interneurons. Neuron 2018, 100: 846-859.e7. PMID: 30318414, PMCID: PMC6541232, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.026.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and Concepts
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