At the interface of injury, age and nutrition: characterising a novel protein regulating neuronal activity, survival and starvation responses.

In this project we will identify critical related mechanisms regulating neuronal excitability when neurons are starved, injured or aged. Neuronal function is required over the whole lifetime. Maintaining this function as neurons are injured, starved or aged is key to cognitive robustness in later age.

We have identified a conserved novel protein that regulates neuronal responses to diet and injury in mammals and Drosophila. Understanding what this novel protein does will be key to knowing how neurons maintain function over a lifetime.

We will use mammalian cell culture, whole organism genetics (Drosophila), behaviour, cell biology, high resolution imaging and cell signalling to study membrane dynamics, starvation responses and resting calcium to understand the links between dietary responses, endosome dynamics and neuronal excitability.