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Chiaki S

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of California San Diego (UCSD)

Expertise

Neuroscience, Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Learning & Memory, Biology, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, Sleep

Bio

Hi! My name is Chiaki and I am currently a Neurosciences PhD student at the University of California, San Diego. Prior to graduate school, I attended Vanderbilt University where I received by BA in Neuroscience in 2019. While there, I specialized in researching neuropsychiatric disorders and finding novel therapeutic targets for advanced treatments. Now, I study the impact of immediate early genes on hippocampal microcircuitry. Outside of the lab, you can find me surfing, hiking, or playing beach volleyball and soccer with friends. I am deeply interested in mentoring students and sharing my passion for neuroscience research!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Elucidating the mechanisms of metabotropic glutamate receptors and their therapeutic potential in neuropsychiatric disorders

Neuroscience has long studied the impact of ionotropic glutamate receptors, such as AMPA and NMDA receptors, and their impacts in learning and memory. However, little is known of the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors and their impact in fundamental neurobiology. These 8 receptor subtypes are expressed in specific areas and neuronal cell types within the brain, thus understanding their physiology can help us understand function-specific biology and may elucidate what can happen when neuronal circuitry goes awry.

Coding skills

python

Languages I know

Japanese, fluent

Teaching experience

I have taught as a teaching assistant in multiple graduate and undergraduate courses, including Cellular Neurophysiology, as well as The Biological Basis of Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Credentials

Work experience

Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (2017 - 2019)
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Education

Vanderbilt University
BA Bachelor of Arts (2019)
Neurosciences
University of California San Diego (UCSD)
MA Master of Arts (2021)
Neurosciences
University of California San Diego (UCSD)
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Neurosciences

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