Andrea Barberis

My research aims to understand how specific neuronal connectivity shapes information processing in brain circuits and ultimately behavior. A major focus is how RNA-based molecular programs associated with populations of neuronal inputs contribute to circuit function, and how their dysregulation leads to neurological disease. Using input-specific transcriptomics and proteomics, we study how coding and non-coding RNAs dynamically regulate functionally distinct input populations during signal processing and memory consolidation. We study how disruption of these programs alters circuit function in neurological disorders, particularly genetic epilepsies. We develop RNA-based therapeutic strategies, including SINEUPs, to selectively increase translation of deficient proteins and restore physiological function. By following rescue from molecular to behavioral levels, we investigate how correction of a primary molecular defect propagates through brain circuits to reverse disease phenotypes