Synaptic Neurobiology Laboratory
Laboratory Head
Dr David Bowser BSc (Hons) (Melb) Grad Dip Info Tech (RMIT) PhD (Melb)
Joint appointment with the Howard Florey Institute and Mental Health Research Institute.
Contact Details
Email: | |
Work: | +61 (0)3 8344 0417 |
Lab: | +61 (0)3 8344 5645 |
Fax: | +61 (0)3 9348 170 |
Number of
Staff
- Lynley Cordeiro BSc (Hons) (Mon)
- Tomris Mustafa BSc (Hones) PhD (Melb)
Currently recruiting for students.
Research Interests
Our laboratory investigates how cells in the brain communicate with each other and their local environment. Interactions are investigated at the molecular, cellular and systems levels and include interactions between neurons and neurons via synapses; neurons and glia via tripartite synapses; and glia and glia via extracellular messenger release mechanisms.
Current Projects
- Astrocyte vesicular release as a model of synaptic vesicle exocytosis
- Astrocyte modulation of neuronal excitability
- Engineering of astrocytes to release neuromodulatory factors in neurodegenerative diseases
- Purinergic (ATP) signalling in the brain
- Development of novel biosensors for the monitoring of vesicular trafficking in neurons
Laboratory Techniques
- Molecular Biology
- Cell biology
- Confocal microscopy
- Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy
- Immunohistochemistry
- Single cell and brain slice electrophysiology
Funding
NHMRC Howard Florey Centenary Fellowship (2006-07)
“Mobilisation of vesicles in astrocytes for delivery of neuromodulatory factors”
Bowser, D.N.
NHMRC Project Grant (2007-09)
“Astrocyte-Neuron communication: Unravelling the role of astrocytes in the modulation of neuronal circuits”
Bowser, D.N.
Research
