Synapse biology
The precise wiring of the human brain and the ability to tune neuronal network connectivity are critical to enable cognition. The Biederer laboratory aims 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. Their 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
Thomas Biederer earned a PhD in Cell Biology from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. He then completed postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Südhof. In 2003, Biederer became a faculty member at Yale University, and in 2013, he joined the Tufts University Medical School. In 2019, he returned to Yale to join the Department of Neurology. Thomas and his family enjoy cooking, particularly Mediterranean cuisine, and spending time outdoors along the Connecticut shoreline.