• Mitochondrial physiology and pathology
• Cell biology and signalling
• Regulation of neuronal cell metabolism 
• Molecular and cellular pharmacology
• Autophagy molecular signalling
• Confocal live cell imaging

• mRNA metabolism in mammalian cells, including splicing, stability and translation
• Molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and involving mRNA processing and translation
• Techniques for RNA and RNA-protein interaction analysis (i.e: RT and real time PCR, northern blot, FISH, in vivo ribonucleoprotein complex purification, Luciferase assays in neuronal cultures, RNAi, antisense RNA, lentiviruses production and manipulation)

tex

• Endocannabinoid system and synaptic transmission
• Vanilloid receptors type-1 (TRPV1) in the brain
• Chronic pain and epilepsy
• Cortical microcircuits
• Electrophysiology in ex vivo (acute brain slices)
• Anatomy/confocal microscopy and morphology reconstruction
• In vivo labelling: injection of retrograde fluorescent dyes in the rat spinal cord under anesthesia

• Expert in fluorescence microscopy and photostimulation techniques, including over 10 years experience in purchase, use, maintenance, construction and management of laser scanning confocal and multiphoton imaging systems, as well as conventional epifluorescence microscopes

• Highly specialised expertise in the photolysis of caged compounds and photobleaching techniques (FRAP and FLIP)

• Electrophysiology – whole cell voltage and current clamp techniques combined with fluorescence imaging in somatosensory cortex, hippocampus and in pancreatic acinar cells

• Computer programming and mathematical modeling of neuronal connectivity based on graph theory

• Molecular biology – extensive experience of standard plasmid cloning techniques, PCR, in vitro transcription and translation, production of Sindbis pseudovirus

• Biochemistry – Isolation of protein from cells, Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, biotinylation

• Cell and tissue culture – acute thalamocortical brain slices, dispersed hippocampal embryonic & postnatal neuronal culture, organotypic hippocampal slice culture, isolation and culture of pancreatic acinar cells

• Gene transfer – chemical transfection procedures, adenoviral and Sindbis virus, nuclear and cytoplasmic microinjection

• CNS Regulation of Energy Homeostasis
• CNS Regulation of Obesity-Induced Hypertension
• Generation and Metabolic Analysis of Neuronal Subset-Specific Genetically-Modified Mice
• CNS Transcriptome Regulation in Obesity
• Intracellular Energy Homeostasis in Ageing and Age-Associated Neuropathology

• AMPA receptor trafficking
• Actin cytoskeleton
• Astrocyte morphology
• Brain ischaemia / stroke
• Protein-protein interactions
• Confocal microscopy

• In vivo electrophysiology (tetrodes/LFP/EEG)
• Cognitive behavioural testing

• Excitatory Synaptic Transmission
• Synaptic Plasticity
• Learning and memory
• Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Autism

• Development and evolution of the cerebral cortex
• Cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the developing cerebral cortex
• Evo-devo regulation of cerebral cortex size and topology
• Genetics of cerebral cortex expansion and folding
• Biomechanics of cerebral cortex folding
• Time-lapse imaging 
• Lineage tracing of single progenitor cells

• Electrophysiology (sharp intracellular and extracellular recordings in vitro and in vivo, multi channel recordings in vivo, microdialysis, etc.)
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) contrast
• Concomitant application of fMRI, electrophysiological recordings and electric microstimulation
• Manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI) for neuronal-tract tracing in vivo and fMRI in freely behaving animals

• Genetics
• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Proteomics
• Confocal Microscopy 

• In utero electroporation
• Light microscopy
• Organotypic cultures

• Dopamine receptor signaling
• Synaptic Transmission and plasticity in health and disease (Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease)
• Optogenetic dissection of Basal ganglia circuits ex vivo and in vivo
• Pach-clamp electrophysiology
• Motor behaviour
• Immunohistochemistry

mouse molecular genetics,

neuromuscular conditioning paradigms

anatomical circuit tracing

single-neuron laser-capture microdissection and transcriptomics

whole cell patch clamp recordings on acute spinal cord slices

live neuron/axon spinning-disk microscopy complemented by rapid transposon-based in vivo-gene manipulation in chick

• Cell biology
• Advanced imaging
• Electrophysiology
• Biochemistry
• Mouse genetics
• Super-resolution microscopy at the synapse
• Phosphatidylinositol signalling
• Early and late signs of neurodegeneration changes
• Regulation of synaptic transmission

path clamp

Ca imaging

caged-Ca

image analysis

Two-photon laser scanning miscroscopy of in vivo prepaprations:

- in vivo calcium imaging of neuronal populations with single-cell resolution

- repeated in vivo imaging dendritic and axonal structures

Electrophysiology in vivo

- single- and multi-unit recordings in the visual and auditory cortex

Intrinsic signal imaging

• Mathematical modeling of neuronal circuits and behavior
• New analysis techniques for social interactions
• New methods of tracking in animal groups
• Quantitative neuroanatomy
• Information theory
• Signal analysis for electrophsysiological and imaging data

• Cerebellar microcircuit function
• Synaptic and dendritic function
• In vivo and in situ optical detection of neuronal signaling (Ca2+ and voltage)
• Neuorotransmitter uncaging
• Super-resolution and 2-photon imaging

• Brain-mind connection
• Neurobiology from molecular to behavioral

• State-of-the-art behavioral testing of rats and mice (including fear conditioning and extinction, two-way avoidance learning, various tests for studying social interaction, behavioral tests in the fully automated IntelliCage system and its modifications, analysis of ultrasonic vocalization),
• Immunohistochemical staining
• Temporal pharmacological inactivaction of different brain structures (stereotactic canniulations), local control of gene expression using viral vectors, studying anatomical connection between brain structures with axonal transport tracers

• Generation of conditional knockout mice
• Cell culture, including neurons and myotubes
• Immunocyto/histochemistry
• Confocal microscopy
• Generation of viral vectors
• Biochemistry: protein complex purification, co-IP, Western blot
• Mass spectrometry

• State-of-the-art behavioral tests on mice, e.g. fear conditioning, open field, rota-rod, elevated mazes, Porsolt’s forced swim test, place preference
• IntelliCage-based analysis of mice behavior, e.g. alcohol addiction-related behaviors
• Pharmacological approaches to study the molecular basis of behavior
• Immunohistochemistry, fluorescent immunostaining, histology, electron microscopy,
• Diolistic labelling for morphological analysis of dendritic spines in vivo

• Fluorescence confocal microscopy
• Fluorescence lifetime imaging
• FRET based methods
• Superresolution light microscopy
• Methods for protein-protein interactions study in living cells

• Ion-selective microelectrodes
• TMA+ real-time iontophoretic method of diffusion analysis
• Intrinsic optical imaging
• Patch-clamp technique
• Multichannel recording
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI)
• Immunohistochemistry, image analysis techniques
• Fluorescein-activated cell sorting (FACS)
• Single and double photon confocal microscopy
• Electron microscopy
• Behavioral techniques for testing motor, sensory and memory deficits
• Cell culturing of stem cells
• Animal models of spinal cord and brain injury, stroke, ALS and Alzheimer’s disease
• Design and implementation of human clinical studies
• Design and construction of biopolymer hydrogels, nanofibers and cell-polymer constructs for bridging lesions of the central nervous system

• Myelination
• Transgenesis
• Mouse genetics
• Imaging

• Excitotoxicity, ischemia and apoptotic pathways in trauma models
• Neuroprotection and pro-survival signaling
• Transcriptional regulation in the nervous system
• Oxidative stress and antioxidant defences in the brain
• Electrophysiology, live cell imaging
• Biochemistry, protein interactions, molecular biology

• Zebrafish as a model for neuronal development
• Genetic and cellular mechanisms of myelination
• Forward genetic screens to identify genes required for myelination
• Chemical biology screening for compounds that promote myelin formation in vivo
• High resolution in vivo imaging of neural development

• Neural crcuit mechanisms for computation
• Ion channel functions
• In vitro and in vivo electrophysiology
• Computational modeling

• Primary visual cortex
• Development of cortical visual properties
• Neuronal integration of synaptic inputs
• Functional cortical connectivity
• Two-photon imaging
• In vivo imaging and electrophysiology

• Regulation of microglia and macrophage function
• Neuro-oncology/neuronal injury/neuronal inflammation
• D. rerio as disease model for glioma
• High resolution confocal microscopy
• In vivo live imaging
• Ca2+ signalling

• Mechanisms underlying spinal locomotor control
• Central pattern generators controlling swimming in Xenopus tadpoles
• Development and neuromodulation of spinal neural circuits
• Regeneration of spinal neurons after injury
• Electrophysiology (in vivo patch clamp)
• Ion channel kinetics and pharmacology
• Microdissection and Imaging

• Neural network functions
• In vivo optogenetics
• Cognition
• Behaviour
• Pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders
• Adult neural stem cells and neurogenesis

• Stem cells
• Disease modeling using reprogramming
• Neurological disorders
• Molecular and cellular mechanisms causing diseases phenotypes
• Neurodevelopmental disorders/ neurodegenerative disorders

• Interneuron development
• Mouse genetics
• Electrophysiology
• Neuronal heterogeneity
• Gene expression analysis

• Developmental neurobiology
• Cellular and molecular biology
• Mouse genetics
• Neuronal specification
• Axonal growth
• Sensory-motor circuits

• Neural circuits
• Animal models
• Optogenetics
• Animal behavior
• Transgenic animals
• Mood disorders
• Anatomy and virus tracing techniques

• Epigenetics
• Long-term memories
• Traumatic memories
• Memory loss
• Neurodegeneration
• Alzheimer´s Disease
• Animal behavior
• Molecular epigenetics (ChIP and related techniques)
• Transcriptional profiling

Transgenesis/Gene targeting
Mouse models/genetics
Neuronal cell biology
Yeast genetics/biology

• Quantal Aspects of Neurotransmission
• Presynaptic Forms of Synaptic Plasticity
• Bacterial Toxins Mechanism
• Variance-to-Mean Analysis

• Neurophysiology, slice electrophysiology
• Optogenetics, calcium imaging
• Morphology, neuroanatomy
• Transynaptic labeling
• Pain and nociceptive pathways
• Spinal cord networks

• Olfactory bulb physiology
• Patch-clamp recordings from dissociated cells, cultured neurons or acute brain slices
• Paired recording, whole-cell and single channel recording
• Two-photon guided targeted patch-clamp recording in freely breathing anesthetized mouse

• Cortical oscillatory activity
• Hippocampo-cortical interactions during spatial memory processes
• Alteration of brain oscillatory activity in various model of neuropsychiatric disorders
• In vivo multi-site electrophysiological recording
• Behavioral testing

• Neuropathic pain and its treatments
• Neuropathic pain and its emotional consequences
• Mood disorders
• Behavior and behavioral models & tests

• Adult neurogenesis
• Stem cells
• Brain repair
• Neuroinflammation
• Glutamate receptor-mediated excitotoxcity in the hippomcampus
• Proteases involved in neurotoxicity
• In Vitro and In Vivo models for neurodegeneration
• Brain ischemia
• Laser scanning microscopy
• Time-lapse imaging (intracellular recordings and cellular migration)
• CNS histology
• Primary cell cultures (hippocampal neurons, retinal cells, subventricular zone cells, astrocytes, microglia)

• Neuromuscular Disorders
• Computerize Image Analysis
• Network Theory
• Drosophila Development
• Morphogenesis

• Parkinson Disease
• Dystonia
• Movement Disorders
• Neural Plasticity
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
• Neurogenetics

- In vivo multiunit recordings using silicon probes

- Patch clamp recording in slices and in vivo

- Functional imaging in vivo (intrinsic optical signal imaging, voltage and calcium sensitive dye imaging)

- In vitro and in vivo 2-photon laser scanning microscopy

- Mouse behaviour

- Genetic manipulation using lentiviral and AAV vectors

- Optogenetic manipulation

In vivo two-photon laser scanning microscopy

Intrinsic optical imaging

In vivo electrophysiolgy

Transgenic mice and viral vectors

Molecular neurobiology

• Computational modeling of neurons and circuits
• Understanding the role of dendrites in neural arithmetic and memory formation
• Information coding mechanisms in neurons 
• Theoretical models of brain function
• Bioinformatics methods for miRNA gene, mature and target prediction
• Modeling of gene regulatory networks

• Electrophysiological imaging

• Neuroanatomical, molecular biological and computational techniques

Administration and communication

• Live cell imaging in whole zebrafish embryos
• Laser dissection

• Flow cytometry, neural cell surface antigens
• Hippo/YAP signaling

• Neural Basis of Behavior, Memory and Learning
• Basal Ganglia Pathways for Action Selection, Initiation, Inhibition and Execution
• Dopamine and Reward-Related Learning
• Hippocampal Phase Precession, Temporal Coding and Oscillations

• TIRF microscopy

• Neurophysiological techniques: imaging and electrophysiology
• Multi-patch recordings
• Brain slice recordings
• Two-photon imaging
• Multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings and analysis

• Genome-wide association
• Pathway analysis
• Functional gene set analysis
• Statistical genetics
• MRI imaging
• Cognitive phenotyping
• Cluster computing

• Live Imaging: wide-field, TIRF, CSLM
• Electrophysiology
• Lenti, Semliki & AAV infections

·      Zebrafish Developmental Genetics

·      Genetic modeling of neurodegenerative diseases

·      Live cell imaging

Synaptic and molecular organization, functional architecture and physiology of neuronal circuits in the cerebral cortex and related structures, their changes underlying addiction or epileptic and ischemic brain damage, the mechanisms of endocannabinoid signaling and its relationship with anxiety

• Synaptic integration, dendritic excitability in the hippocampus
• Regulation of dendritic properties 
• Two-photon microscopy
• Electrophysiology

• Fast three-dimensional two-photon imaging in in vivo
• Electrophysiology in vivo and in vitro
• Dendritic integration in vivo and in vitro
• Neuronal network imaging
• Non-linear optics
• Laserphysics
• Laser scanning 
• IT, electric engineering, optical and mechanical engineering

• Electrophysiology
• Hippocampal Circuits