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null Aparna Suvrathan, PhD

Scientist, RI-MUHC, Montreal General Hospital site

Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Program

Centre for Translational Biology

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

 

Research Focus

My lab investigates how learning is encoded by the brain by focusing on how synaptic connections between neurons undergo plastic changes during learning. We study a region of the brain known as the cerebellum, which is critical for learning accurate and precisely timed movements. In addition to its role in movement learning, the cerebellum is strongly implicated in autism spectrum disorders. Using a combination of electrophysiology, behavioural analysis, microscopy and mouse genetics, we aim to determine the synaptic, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of learning in the cerebellum, both in health and disease.

Selected Publications

Click on Pubmed to see my current publications list

  • Beyond STDP-towards diverse and functionally relevant plasticity rules. Suvrathan A. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2019 Feb; 54:12-19. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.06.011. PMID: 30056261.

  • Depressed by Learning-Heterogeneity of the Plasticity Rules at Parallel Fiber Synapses onto Purkinje Cells. Suvrathan A, Raymond JL. Cerebellum. 2018 Dec;17(6):747-755. doi: 10.1007/s12311-018-0968-8. PMID: 30069835.

  • Timing Rules for Synaptic Plasticity Matched to Behavioral Function. Suvrathan A, Payne HL, Raymond JL. Neuron. 2016 Dec 7;92(5):959-967. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.10.022. Epub 2016 Nov 10. PMID: 27839999.

  • Characterization and reversal of synaptic defects in the amygdala in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. Suvrathan A, Hoeffer CA, Wong H, Klann E, Chattarji S. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jun 22;107(25):11591-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1002262107. PMID: 20534533.