Research Assistant Positions: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Neurodegeneration
Timi Foloronsu, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow) and Prof. Darrick Balu, Translational Psychiatry Laboratory
fall 2021


The Translational Psychiatry Laboratory (Principal Investigator: Darrick Balu, PhD), uses a wide array of tools (transgenic mouse lines, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, and behavior) to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the synaptic and behavioral abnormalities associated with psychiatric (schizophrenia) and neurologic (Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury) disorders. There are several projects that students could be involved with in the laboratory. They all are related to how the D-amino acid, D-serine, and the enzyme that generates it, serine racemase (SR), regulate excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. The first project involves understanding how D-serine mediated NMDAR activation regulates GABAergic neuron development during embryonic and postnatal stages, timepoints that are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The second project aims to identify how D-serine release from inflammatory astrocytes contributes to the neurodegeneration in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease and brain injury. Responsibilities: These include (1) analysis of images obtained from a confocal microscope using NIH ImageJ software; (2) assisting with mouse behavioral assays related to affect and cognition; (3) mouse brain sectioning and immunohistochemistry staining; and (4) quantification of RNA and Protein expression in mouse brains using western blot and qPCR techniques. Requirements and Expectations: Prior lab experience is a plus but not necessary. Interest in applying to neuroscience graduate programs. We are only looking for students who would like to pursue research starting this semester either for academic credit (MBB 90r) or their senior thesis, which will allow them to perform activities in-person. Additional Information: Our laboratory is located at McLean Hospital in Belmont (http://www.mcleanhospital.org/biography/darrick-balu). To Apply: Please send your CV and a brief research interest statement (one paragraph) to Prof. Balu (dbalu@mclean.harvard.edu) and Dr. Folorunso (ofolorunso@mclean.harvard.edu). (posted 9/2021)