The Huganir lab reports in Science the discovery of a candidate gene linking synapse formation and language development.  SRPX2 was a secreted protein identified in a high throughput screen for synaptogenic molecules.  SRPX2 promotes excitatory synapse formation under the control of the language-associated transcription factor FOXP2. Loss of SRPX2 impairs synapse formation and ultrasonic vocalization in mice, indicating that this may represent a pathway crucial for circuit formation un...

Dr. Brown, MD, PhD is awarded a NARSAD Young Investigator Award to study the poorly understood role of particular neurons located below the cerebral cortex, known to be abnormally distributed in patients with schizophrenia. Using mouse models, Dr. Brown’s goal is to determine the impact of these neurons in generating the cognitive and behavioral symptoms of the illness. ...