Postdoc Appreciation Week at ICL Brain Sciences

The 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) plays a crucial role in determining mRNA stability, localization, translation, and degradation. In this talk, I will present RNAs derived from 3’UTRs, providing the first direct evidence that these 3’UTR-derived RNAs are capped and often more abundant than the corresponding full-length mRNAs. Collectively, I will present new insights into the origin and abundance of 3’UTR-derived RNAs, demonstrate the utility of CAGE-seq for their quantitative detection, and highlight the relevance of this poorly understood class of RNAs in the context of aging brain.

Astrocytic leaflets fine-tune local synaptic transmission and plasticity as they are ideally positioned proximally to the synaptic cleft. To this end, we examined astrocyte leaflet-synapse interaction in the hippocampus during the formation and consolidation of fear memories and found a learning-induced retraction of astrocyte leaflets which consequently boosted extrasynaptic glutamate diffusion. Subsequent manipulation of the structure of astrocyte leaflets increased neuronal activation and enhanced fear memory expression.

Blast Traumatic Brain Injury (bTBI), often referred to as the "invisible wound," affects military and civilian populations alike. In this talk, I delve into bTBI's neuropathology using a rodent model across acute to chronic timeframes. I unveil the brain's response to blast trauma by investigating neuronal populations, inflammatory cells, and white matter integrity. Furthermore, I reveal compelling findings related to a translational fluid biomarker with the potential to detect even mild TBIs. This research provides crucial insights into the enduring impact of a single blast on the brain.