Holt Matthew

Group leader: Synapse Biology, i3S Porto (2022-Present) Research: Astrocytes are one of the major cell types in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). They perform many important functions, including in synapse formation, maintenance and elimination. Furthermore, they are thought to modulate synaptic transmission at mature synapses (through a variety of mechanisms). Finally, astrocytes are also thought to be crucial for blood brain barrier formation and control of vascular blood flow. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these tasks are accomplished remain unclear. Furthermore, it is unclear if individual astrocytes perform all functions or if specialized astrocyte subtypes exist. The main research goal of my lab is to understand the degree of astrocyte heterogeneity in the adult mammalian brain and how this impacts on CNS function, with a focus on how astrocytes (differentially) modulate synaptic transmission As all CNS pathologies show astrocyte involvement – a process known as reactive astrogliosis – we are also interested in the role regional heterogeneity plays in diseases related to aberrant synaptic transmission, with a focus on epilepsy.