Andrija Sente

Information processing in the brain requires a precise balance between excitation and inhibition in the neuronal microcircuitry. Disturbances to this equilibrium are correlated with several common psychiatric disorders, and many psychoactive substances and therapeutics function by modulating it.

I investigate how this balance is set and maintained at a molecular level through the structural characterization of neurotransmitter receptors and their complexes, as well as through the lens of computational biology. You can read more about my work on GABA_A receptors in my recent essay published in Science, Gatekeepers of the brain: Identifying hidden mechanisms of type A GABA receptor signaling and assembly.

More generally, I am excited by the quest for a better understanding of how the precise wiring of the nervous system is achieved during development, how this patterning is dictated by genetic information, and how and why it goes awry in neurodevelopmental disorders. Most disorders on the neurodevelopmental spectrum are strongly determined by genetics; for example, schizophrenia and autism-spectrum disorder are upwards of 80% genetically determined, yet our ability to interpret this predisposition and vulnerability remains limited. I recently discussed some of these topics in an interview with ScienceAdviser.