Bernardo Sabatini

Bernardo Sabatini, MD, PhD

Alice and Rodman W. Moorhead III Professor of Neurobiology
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Co-Director, Kempner Institute

The main focus of my research laboratory is to understand the development and regulation of synapses in the brain and the relationship of these processes to behavior and disease.  Our studies include analysis of:

  1. The biophysical processes that control the function of individual synapses
  2. The mechanisms of regulation of synapses and neurons by neuromodulators such as dopamine, acetylcholine, and peptides
  3. The relationship between synaptic plasticity and behavior
  4. The role of perturbed synapse function in human neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

Our studies are performed in the mammalian brain and we focus on the analysis of hippocampus, cortex, and basal ganglia.  Recently, the analysis of the basal ganglia has become a major focus of the laboratory and we hope to perform a comprehensive analysis of the questions above in this brain structure.  Lastly, as necessary for our studies, we develop novel optical, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches to carry out the proposed work. Greater detail and a complete list of publications can be found at our laboratory website.

"Recently, the analysis of the basal ganglia has become a major focus of the laboratory and we hope to perform a comprehensive analysis of the questions above in this brain structure."

For research in Natural and Artificial intelligence, visit the Kempner Institute.

Publications View
Longevity, demographic characteristics, and socio-economic status are linked to triiodothyronine levels in the general population.
Authors: Authors: Lawton RI, Sabatini BL, Hochbaum DR.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
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Cortical reactivations predict future sensory responses.
Authors: Authors: Nguyen ND, Lutas A, Amsalem O, Fernando J, Ahn AY, Hakim R, Vergara J, McMahon J, Dimidschstein J, Sabatini BL, Andermann ML.
Nature
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Striatum supports fast learning but not memory recall.
Authors: Authors: Reinhold K, Iadarola M, Tang S, Kuwamoto W, Sun S, Hakim R, Zimmer J, Wang W, Sabatini BL.
bioRxiv
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A Cre-dependent reporter mouse for quantitative real-time imaging of Protein Kinase A activity dynamics.
Authors: Authors: Tilden EI, Maduskar A, Oldenborg A, Sabatini BL, Chen Y.
bioRxiv
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Dopamine and glutamate regulate striatal acetylcholine in decision-making.
Authors: Authors: Chantranupong L, Beron CC, Zimmer JA, Wen MJ, Wang W, Sabatini BL.
Nature
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Thyroid hormone rewires cortical circuits to coordinate body-wide metabolism and exploratory drive.
Authors: Authors: Hochbaum DR, Dubinsky AC, Farnsworth HC, Hulshof L, Kleinberg G, Urke A, Wang W, Hakim R, Robertson K, Park C, Solberg A, Yang Y, Baynard C, Nadaf NM, Beron CC, Girasole AE, Chantranupong L, Cortopassi M, Prouty S, Geistlinger L, Banks A, Scanlan T, Greenberg ME, Boulting GL, Macosko EZ, Sabatini BL.
bioRxiv
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Synaptic and circuit functions of multitransmitter neurons in the mammalian brain.
Authors: Authors: Wallace ML, Sabatini BL.
Neuron
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Sub-clinical triiodothyronine levels predict health, demographic, and socioeconomic outcomes.
Authors: Authors: Lawton RI, Sabatini BL, Hochbaum DR.
bioRxiv
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A response to claims of emergent intelligence and sentience in a dish.
Authors: Authors: Balci F, Ben Hamed S, Boraud T, Bouret S, Brochier T, Brun C, Cohen JY, Coutureau E, Deffains M, Doyère V, Gregoriou GG, Heimel JA, Kilavik BE, Lee D, Leuthardt EC, Mainen ZF, Mathis M, Monosov IE, Naudé J, Orsborn AL, Padoa-Schioppa C, Procyk E, Sabatini B, Sallet J, Sandi C, Schall JD, Soltani A, Svoboda K, Wilson CRE, Zimmermann J.
Neuron
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A NPAS4-NuA4 complex couples synaptic activity to DNA repair.
Authors: Authors: Pollina EA, Gilliam DT, Landau AT, Lin C, Pajarillo N, Davis CP, Harmin DA, Yap EL, Vogel IR, Griffith EC, Nagy MA, Ling E, Duffy EE, Sabatini BL, Weitz CJ, Greenberg ME.
Nature
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