News & Events

When

Date - March 22, 2019
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What

Janis Apinis Professor of PharmSci
Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor
School of Pharmacy
University of Wisconsin Madison
Talk Title: Development of a Multi-faceted Mass Spectrometry-based Analytical Platform for Neuroscience and Biomedical Research

Abstract:

Research in my laboratory focuses on developing and implementing an array of novel mass spectrometry based strategies to answer questions about the most complex and elusive set of signaling molecules, the neuropeptides, and gain new insights into the roles of peptide hormones and neurotransmitters play in the plasticity of neural circuits and behavior. While significant effort has been directed to analytical technique and method development, it is the biomedical importance of understanding the neuropeptidergic system that drives our research to continuously refine and improve the analytical capabilities to address challenging neuroscience problems. A large body of research strongly suggests that an imbalance of chemical messengers is associated with various neurological disorders. However, compared to classical neurotransmitters such as amines, the functional roles of many neuropeptides are still poorly understood. This is, in part, due to the lack of analytical capabilities to measure and identify these low abundance endogenous signaling molecules in a complex microenvironment. Clearly, development of highly sensitive and selective analytical tools for neuropeptide identification and quantitation is in great demand. Specifically, we are interested in understanding the roles that neuropeptides play in food intake, neural network development and response to environmental stresses.