ASN NEURO Poster Award winner

Ciaran Murphy Royal

Ciaran Murphy Royal started his studies in Trinity College Dublin where he studied Human Physiology. During this time he spent two internships in the laboratory of Professor Marina Lynch. This laboratory focuses on the neuroinflammatory contribution to age-related and amyloid ß-induced loss of synaptic function. Specifically, this laboratory investigates the inflammatory processes induced by glial cell activation. During his time there he collaborated on a paper investigating the role of SIGIRR, an anti-inflammatory receptor, on inflammation in the rodent brain.

From Ireland, he moved to France to work at INSERM Bordeaux in Dr Stéphane Oliet´s laboratory. Here, the work is focused on neuron-glia interactions at the synapse. Previous work in this laboratory has shown that LTP (long-term potentiation), one of the many forms of synaptic plasticity, depends on the release of gliotransmitters from astrocytes.

He is currently investigating the membrane dynamics of GLT-1 (EAAT2), the glial glutamate transporter, and its function in synaptic transmission. They believe that GLT-1 could play an important role in modulation of the strength of synaptic transmission by moving in and out of the synapse as well as competing with synaptic glutamate receptors for glutamate. To do this he is using the latest single-particle imaging techniques which have been developed in the laboratory of Dr Laurent Groc. Laurent Groc´s team are using single-particle tracking, as well as other techniques, to understand how synapse development occurs, particularly concentrating on receptor dynamics during this timeframe.