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Welcome to the Colón-Ramos Lab

Overview

A fundamental question in neuroscience is how synapses are assembled in living animals to produce behaviors and store memories. Our lab is focused on this question and uses the nematode C. elegans to examine the cell biological mechanisms by which synapses are precisely assembled during development, maintained during growth and modified during learning to store memories.


video: Cell biology of the synapse and behavior in C. elegans

Cell biology of the synapse and behavior in C. elegans
https://www.ibiology.org/neuroscience/neuronal-synapse/

Projects

We can scrutinize the interplay between the cell biology of the synapse and behavior at three levels:

  • Synaptic development in the nematode brain

    During development, neurons contact many potential synaptic partners, yet connect only to a selected subset. What are the the cellular and molecular mechanisms that instruct this precise assembly of synapses in vivo?

  • Maintenance of synaptic positions and function

    After synapses are specified, their relative positions and functional properties must be maintained to ensure proper circuit function.  What are the mechanisms that maintain synaptic positions and synaptic function as animals grow and age?

video: Mechanisms of neuronal synapse assembly and function

Mechanisms of neuronal synapse assembly and function
https://www.ibiology.org/neuroscience/neuronal-synapse/#part-2

video: Actuating memory: how C. elegans remembers

Actuating memory: how C. elegans remembers
https://www.ibiology.org/neuroscience/neuronal-synapse/#part-3

Recent Publications