Synapse biology
The precise wiring of the human brain and the ability to tune neuronal network connectivity are critical to enable cognition. The goal of the Biederer laboratory is to understand how synapses, the cellular structures underlying connectivity in the brain, are formed and specified in the brain. We integrate molecular, cell biological, and in vivo studies. Our current research addresses three questions. First, how do synaptogenic proteins assemble and stabilize synapses? Second, how are the properties of synapses acutely instructed? Third, what makes synapses vulnerable - and resilient - to loss in human brain disorders?
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Biography
Dr. Thomas Biederer received a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. He pursued postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Südhof. Thomas became faculty member at Yale University in 2003, and joined in 2013 the Tufts University Medical School, before returning to Yale in 2019 to join the Department of Neurology. Thomas and his family enjoy cooking, especially Mediterranean food, and being outdoors along the Connecticut Shoreline.