Projects
Deciphering experience-dependent plasticity in the neuropeptide signaling network KU Leuven
Animal brains are wired according to a series of remarkable genetic programs that have evolved over millions of years. Much of our behavior, however, is the product of experiences that happen to us on much shorter time scales. The ability of the nervous system to properly respond to aversive stimuli is crucial for animal well-being and survival. In many vertebrate sensory systems, persistent stimuli are coded by tonically active neural ...
Deciphering the regulation of long-term memory by neuropeptide signaling KU Leuven
All animals rely on learning and memory for survival. We aim at delivering a much-needed understanding on how neuropeptide signaling in the brain influences long-term memory. Neuropeptides are small regulatory proteins that are implicated in a variety of biological processes, including learning and memory. Our hypothesis is that neuropeptides are not only key regulators of learned behaviors, but also of long-term memory processes. We recently ...
Neuropeptides in aging and neurodegeneration. KU Leuven
Metazoan neuropeptides are an essential group of communicators for fairly standard physiological processes such as muscle contraction or food digestion, as well as for more complex actions and long-term effects such as behavioural adaptation, memory formation and even ageing. Neuropeptides are a diverse group of short polypeptides which are often – but far from exclusively – secreted by neuronal tissues. They are able to relay signals between ...
Oxytocin-like neuropeptide signaling in locusts KU Leuven
Neuropeptides control developmental, physiological and behavioral processes in animals. In mammalian species, the nonapeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are involved in osmoregulation, reproduction, complex social behaviors, memory and learning. The origin of the oxytocin/vasopressin signaling system is thought to date back more than 600 million years. Members of this peptide family have also been identified in several invertebrate species. ...
Identification of novel neuropeptide systems that can be targeted for the development of future antiepileptic treatments. Ghent University
The aim will be to identify and characterize novel drug targets for treatment of refractory epilepsy. Neuropeptides, including kisspeptin, prolactin-releasing peptide and hypocretin will be studied with regard to their effect on hippocampal excitability and seizure activity. These neuropeptides were chosen because they modulate neuronal excitability through receptors expressed in structures critical to generation and/or control of hippocampal ...
Functional characterization of the neuropeptide PDF in the circadian rhythm of Caenorhabditis elegans. KU Leuven
Decoding neuropeptide signalling networks underlying experience-dependent brain plasticity KU Leuven
Animal brains are wired according to genetic programs that evolved over millions of years. Much of our behavior, however, is shaped by experiences during life that reprogram the brain by altering gene expression. The aim of this Ph.D. project is to deliver a much-needed understanding of how these lasting changes alter brain function. Many genes regulated by experience have been identified. Yet, how they sculpt neural circuits and behavior is ...