Dr. Teru Nakagawa, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, will deliver the inaugural Kairos Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 4:00 p.m. in 1220 Medical Research Building III. The title of his talk is “Structure and Mechanism of AMPA Receptors, a Central Mediator of Brain Excitatory Neurotransmission.”
Nakagawa received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo and did postdoctoral work at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He became a faculty member at the University of California San Diego in 2005. In 2012, he moved to Vanderbilt University, where he is currently a professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, the scientific director of Cryo-Electron Microscopy at the Center for Structural Biology, and a member of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.
Nakagawa’s research interest is on the molecular mechanism of synaptic plasticity. His lab’s current focus is to elucidate the structural basis for the function and modulation of AMPA receptors in complex with their auxiliary subunits.
Lecture abstract
AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate most fast excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. Gating of these cation channels, triggered by the neurotransmitter L-glutamate, underlies learning, memory, and complex behaviors. Functional variation of AMPARs throughout the brain is tightly regulated by over a dozen AMPAR auxiliary subunits. We are interested in revealing fundamental mechanisms that govern AMPAR synaptic signaling and how they impact brain function.
We focus on: (1) the molecular compositions and architectures of AMPAR/auxiliary subunit complexes, and (2) the mechanism underlying physiologically relevant, ultra-fast signaling mediated by AMPARs. We combine approaches in cryo-electron microscopy and electrophysiology. These efforts may open opportunities for developing therapeutics targeting AMPARs relevant to neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, intellectual disability, limbic encephalitis, and schizophrenia.
About the Kairos Lecture Series
The purpose of the Kairos Lectures is to expose Vanderbilt’s basic and biomedical research community to the exciting research our colleagues are doing. The Greek term kairos refers to the opportune, critical, or right moment for action. Kairos Lectures are an invitation for our community to recognize the moments that matter: the right time to learn something new, connect across expertise, and move science forward together.
Kairos Lectures will take place throughout the year on the fourth Thursday of the month in 1220 Medical Research Building III. Invitations will be sent to SOMBS faculty, staff, and trainees in advance of each lecture.