School of Psychology and Neuroscience Seminar: Dr Ciaran Murphy-Royal (Montréal) The role of astrocytes in the synaptic and behavioural response to stress

**Note 4pm start time**

On April 16th, 4pm, we'll have Ciaran Murphy-Royal (Montréal) present on: "The role of astrocytes in the synaptic and behavioural response to stress", hosted by Simon Sharples.

Dr Murphy-Royal's research is focused on determining the functions of astrocytes, a type of brain glial cell, in synaptic function and the influence on behaviour. To do this he combines molecular biology, electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, and behavioural testing with genetic manipulation of astrocytes in rodents. He carried out his undergraduate in Trinity College Dublin before obtaining his PhD at the University of Bordeaux working with Drs Stéphane Oliet and Laurent Groc to identify how astrocytes tightly controlled glutamate uptake at the synaptic cleft. He then moved to the University of Calgary, as a postdoctoral fellow, where he worked with Drs Jaideep Bains and Grant Gordon to determine the effects of stress on astrocytes and how this influenced synaptic function. In June 2020, he moved to the University of Montreal as an assistant professor in the department of neuroscience where he started his own group that uses behavioural assays, in vivo imaging, electrophysiology, and viral manipulation of astrocytes to investigate whether astrocyte dysfunction underlies heightened stress susceptibility in rodent models of anxio-depressive disorder.