Seminar – Stefanie Robel, Ph.D.

The Robel research group studies the fascinating changes that astrocytes undergo when the central nervous system (CNS) is injured by trauma or neurological diseases. The main question is how these changes affect astrocyte functions:

· In interaction with the vasculature, where astrocytes contribute to vascular health, maintenance of the blood-brain barrier, and regulation of blood flow;

· In interaction with synapses, where astrocytes are responsible for maintaining ion and neurotransmitter homeostasis; and

· At the network level, where pathology-induced modifications to astrocyte function may affect neuronal network function and behavior.

Dr. Robel's long-term goal is to identify pathways that allow the therapeutic modulation of the process, astrogliosis, that astrocytes undergo in CNS pathology. The key challenge is to maintain the beneficial aspects of astrogliosis such us limiting damage caused by blood-brain barrier breakdown, while resolving the cellular and molecular consequences that result in neurological diseases.

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