A seminar by

Solomon R. Pollack, PhD
Professor & Chair
Department of Bioengineering
University of Pennsylvania

Mechanical forces influence the development, maintenance, and degeneration of the nervous system at many length scales.  In this talk, we identify the molecular domains of the NMDA receptor that regulate its unique mechanosensitivity, and study how this mechanosensitivity is a key aspect that underlies the role of the NMDA receptor in traumatic brain injury (TBI).  We use imaging-based methods to study how this receptor mechanosensitivity influences the synchrony of neural circuits, and explore potential upstream therapeutic targets to reverse these mechanically-regulated changes in neural circuits. From these studies, we identify a new therapeutic target that is successful in reducing impairments in a preclinical model of TBI.