Molecular investigation of glial roles in neural aging
Why do most of us need glasses and hearing aids as we get older, and why do our mental acuities decline? Our brain has two types of cells in equal numbers, neurons and glia, which must constantly communicate with each other for normal nervous system activity. Dr. Singhvi’s lab wants to uncover how these glia-neuron conversations change during aging, and how glia contribute to age-related loss in sensory and cognitive abilities.
Dr. Singhvi's laboratory will use C. elegans to decipher mechanisms by which glia modulate neuron shape and functions, animal behavior and aging. It is hoped that the studies that are performed in this genetic system can help determine how glia impact sensorineural aging in molecular detail.