Exploring what astrocytes do in the brain in health and disease

Our big questions

How do astrocytes regulate neuronal circuits?

We now know that astrocytes can change neuronal activity and thus change how memories are formed and how behaviors occur. Thus, astrocytes represent a layer of neuromodulation that exists on top of the neuronal connectome. Our goal is to dissect the input into astrocytes (what signals they listen to) and the output from astrocytes (what signals they send to neurons) to understand how they act as computational units in the brain.

Diagram showing neural circuit signaling, with inputs like NE/Tyr/Oct, Glutamate, Acetylcholine, Dopamine, Serotonin, GABA, and others all leading to calcium, cAMP, lipids, and ions inside a cell, which produce outputs including ATP/Adenosine, NT Release, K+ Buffering, and others affecting neural circuit regulation.

What do astrocytes do during disease and injury?

Astrocytes respond to every disease and injury of the nervous system by undergoing a set of morphological and functional changes collectively termed “reactivity.” We have previously shown that, just by altering this astrocytic response in mouse models of disease, we can dramatically reduce neuronal death and extend lifespan. We are now using a suite of models to further dissect how astrocytes respond during injury and disease, what affect that has on brain pathology, and whether such changes can be targeted therapeutically.

Diagram showing immune response mechanisms in neurological diseases, including ALS and brain injury, with therapeutic interventions to prevent neuronal death by reducing toxic lipids from reactive astrocytes.

Our approach

A diagram showing stages of scientific research from primary culture, Drosophila larvae, Drosophila adults, mammalian slices, mice in vivo, to mouse disease models, with arrows indicating progression.

We combine model systems from across biology to find the best approach for tackling important questions in astrocyte biology

Who we are

Close-up of a young man with short brown hair, light skin, wearing round tortoise-shell eyeglasses, a white collared shirt, and a black zip-up jacket, outdoors with blurred green trees in the background.

PI: Kevin Guttenplan

You?

Want to join?

Email me if you are interested in joining the lab! We recruit PhD students from various programs across Harvard University and Harvard Medical School and are always looking for excited people to join as senior researchers, research assistants, and postdocs!