Grants per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
SYNAPTIC STRUCTURAL PLASTICITY: FROM MOLECULES TO COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AND DISEASE Research in my lab centers on signal transduction networks that regulate the structural and functional plasticity of excitatory synapses. Synaptic communication between neurons within brain circuits underlies cognitive functions, and is disrupted in numerous neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Most central excitatory synapses are located on dendritic spines, and spine structure is essential for normal and pathological brain function. Spine dynamics is crucial for the establishment, maintenance, and experience dependent modification of connectivity in neural circuits. Conversely, abnormal dendritic spine morphology occurs in patients with neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease. As spine morphology is closely associated with cognitive functions, understanding the mechanisms of regulation and dysregulation of spine plasticity is necessary to elucidate the neural bases of cognitive functions and disorders. The long-term goals of my research are: 1) to identify and characterize the molecular mechanisms that control synaptic structural plasticity. 2) to determine how they influence the development, functioning, and plasticity of brain circuits underlying cognition. 3) to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic pathology and determine their impact on disease endophenotypes. To to achieve these objectives, we employ a multidisciplinary array of molecular, cellular, imaging, transgenic, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches, and have assembled an outstanding team of collaborators.
Education/Academic qualification
Biochemistry, PhD, SUNY Buffalo
… → 1997
Research interests keywords
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Brain and Nervous System
- Cytoskeleton
- Nervous System Diseases
- Neuroscience
- Schizophrenia
- Signal Transduction
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Network
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Nikon CSU W1 SoRa for the Center for Advanced Microscopy and Nikon Imaging Center at Northwestern University
Arvanitis, C., Arispe, L., Chen, H., Gelfand, V. I., Krainc, D., Muller, W. A., Penzes, P. & Varma, D.
Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health
4/1/23 → 3/31/24
Project: Research project
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Orbitrap Eclipse Mass Spectrometer for Northwestern University Neuroproteomic Collaboration Hub
Savas, J. N., Caraveo Piso, G., Contractor, A., Disterhoft, J. F., Duncan, F. E., Foltz, D. R., Goel, R., Kafader, J. O., Kalb, R. G., Kelleher, N. L., Kiskinis, E., Krainc, D., Mendillo, M. L., Menichella, D. M., Penzes, P., Smith, G. A., Surmeier Jr, D. J., Vassar, R. J., Walsh, D. & Zelano, C.
Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health
3/1/23 → 2/29/24
Project: Research project
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Targeting Postsynaptic Small G-protein Regulators
Luan, C., Penzes, P., Parnell, E. L. & Schiltz, G. E.
National Institute of Mental Health
7/19/22 → 6/30/26
Project: Research project
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Adhesion molecules and developmental epilepsy disorders
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
7/15/22 → 6/30/23
Project: Research project
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Postsynaptic roles of ankyrins
National Institute of Mental Health
6/1/22 → 3/31/27
Project: Research project
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An IGFBP2-derived peptide promotes neuroplasticity and rescues deficits in a mouse model of Phelan-McDermid syndrome
Burgdorf, J. S., Yoon, S., Dos Santos, M., Lammert, C. R., Moskal, J. R. & Penzes, P., Mar 2023, In: Molecular Psychiatry. 28, 3, p. 1101-1111 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Dendritic spinule-mediated structural synaptic plasticity: Implications for development, aging, and psychiatric disease
Zaccard, C. R., Gippo, I., Song, A., Geula, C. & Penzes, P., Jan 20 2023, In: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 16, 1059730.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Impaired OTUD7A-dependent Ankyrin regulation mediates neuronal dysfunction in mouse and human models of the 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome
Unda, B. K., Chalil, L., Yoon, S., Kilpatrick, S., Irwin, C., Xing, S., Murtaza, N., Cheng, A., Brown, C., Afonso, A., McCready, E., Ronen, G. M., Howe, J., Caye-Eude, A., Verloes, A., Doble, B. W., Faivre, L., Vitobello, A., Scherer, S. W., Lu, Y., & 2 others , 2023, (Accepted/In press) In: Molecular Psychiatry.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Rescue of neuropsychiatric phenotypes in a mouse model of 16p11.2 duplication syndrome by genetic correction of an epilepsy network hub
Forrest, M. P., Dos Santos, M., Piguel, N. H., Wang, Y. Z., Hawkins, N. A., Bagchi, V. A., Dionisio, L. E., Yoon, S., Simkin, D., Martin-de-Saavedra, M. D., Gao, R., Horan, K. E., George, A. L., LeDoux, M. S., Kearney, J. A., Savas, J. N. & Penzes, P., Dec 2023, In: Nature communications. 14, 1, 825.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations -
A developmental delay linked missense mutation in Kalirin-7 disrupts protein function and neuronal morphology
Parnell, E., Voorn, R. A., Martin-de-Saavedra, M. D., Loizzo, D. D., Dos Santos, M. & Penzes, P., Dec 1 2022, In: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 15, 994513.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Datasets
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Data for: The CNTNAP2-CASK complex modulates GluA1 subcellular distribution in interneurons
Penzes, P. (Creator), Mendeley Data, 2019
DOI: 10.17632/h4k6z79xxm.1, https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/h4k6z79xxm
Dataset