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Faculty Profile Last Modified Time: 04:40:08 PM Wed, 18 Apr 2018   Contact Information Mingshan Xue Associated Profiles  Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine   Mail Box: NRI1250, Neurological Research Institute, Room No.: N.1270.02    mxue@bcm.edu     (832) 824-8109    Web Link    Lab Webpage    Cortical Circuits, Synaptic Excitation and Inhibition, Epilepsy and Autism, Synaptic Transmission, Synaptic Plasticity, In Vitro Electrophysiology, Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology, Neurobiology, Patch Clamp Recording, Neurobiology and Brain Physiology    Associated Profiles Professional Preparation Research and Expertise Affiliations Appointments  Professional Preparation  Degree Major Institution Year  PhD   Baylor College of Medicine 2009  BS   Fudan University 2001  Research and Expertise Research Interests   The ability of the cerebral cortex to perform incredibly complex functions resides in its intricate neural circuits composed of a vast number of cortical neurons. The research goal of our laboratory is to understand how different classes of neurons in cortical circuits interact with each other to perform cortical functions and how dysfunction or abnormal development of neural circuits contributes to the pathogeneses of neurological disorders. Cortical neurons excite or inhibit one another through the release of excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitters, respectively, at the synapses. These two forms of communication, namely synaptic excitation and inhibition, work together to orchestrate the spatiotemporal patterns of neuronal activity. Hence, the relationship between excitation and inhibition, often referred to as the E/I ratio, is fundamental to many functional properties of cortical neurons, such as what stimuli a neuron is sensitive to, when a neuron is turned on or off, and how strongly a neuron is activated or suppressed. The E/I ratio is also thought to be crucial for neural network dynamics, stability, and signal propagation. Furthermore, failure to establish or maintain a proper E/I ratio leads to cortical circuit dysfunction and in fact this is being increasingly recognized as a key etiology of many neurological disorders including autism and epilepsy. The crucial roles of the E/I ratio in both healthy and diseased brains have attracted much interest. However, despite the extensive characterization of the E/I ratios, the mechanisms underlying the appropriate E/I ratios are still poorly understood. More importantly, how abnormal E/I ratios affect cortical functions, thereby contributing to the behavioral deficits in neurological disorders, remains elusive. Thus, we study the spatiotemporal distribution of E/I ratio in distinct types of cortical neurons and identify the molecular mechanisms that establish the proper E/I ratios in different cell types. Furthermore, we use mouse models to investigate how genetic mutations involved in autism and pediatric epilepsy perturb cortical E/I ratios and circuit functions. A wide variety of approaches are employed in our laboratory including molecular manipulations (e.g. transgenic mouse, recombinant virus), functional manipulations (e.g. optogenetics, chemical-genetics), structural and functional analyses (e.g. in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology, two-photon imaging), gene expression profiling, and behavioral assays. Our goal is to elucidate the synaptic mechanisms of elementary circuit functions with the hope to develop strategies to re-instate the proper balance between excitation and inhibition in neurological disorders for therapeutic interventions.  Publications/Creative Works Click here to search for this faculty member's publications on PubMed.  Affiliations  Research Consortia Gulf Coast Cluster for Translational Imaging Junior Faculty Initiative  Appointments Title Department / School Institution Assistant Professor Neuroscience Baylor College of Medicine

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