Research Areas

Mechanisms underlying neuronal circuit function

Neuronal micro-circuits are the building blocks of the brain. It is becoming evident that each circuit in the brain is designed to process specific types of information. For instance, in the visual system, there are circuits which specialize in computing motion, orientation, color, etc. How do these circuits perform their computations? This is the central question that drives our research. Currently, we are engaged in understanding the mechanisms that allow retinal circuits to compute the direction of moving objects in the visual scene. We approach this by using tools which manipulate and monitor the activity of specific neurons in a circuit, which allows us to glean insights on the role of each neuron in the circuit.

Peptidergic transmission in the retina

In the brain, specialized neurons release small proteins called “neuropeptides”. These peptides seem to be important for brain function, as altered peptide levels are observed in a number of neurological disorders. However, the mechanisms by which peptides facilitate brain function is largely unknown.  We will investigate the mechanisms by which the neuropeptide, somatostatin, facilitates the brain’s visual processing.

Mechanisms underlying vision impairments in diabetic retinopathy

Diabetes is a disorder where blood glucose levels become abnormally high due to attenuated production/function of insulin. The most common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which results in visual impairments. An estimated 93 million people worldwide, and ~20 million individuals in India, are affected by this eye disease. Considering that diabetic retinopathy is most prevalent in working-age adults, these visual impairments have a severe socioeconomic impact. However, current treatment strategies have been unsuccessful in restoring vision. This can be largely attributed to the lack of understanding of the mechanisms that lead to vision impairments in the disease. We will glean insights into the mechanisms underlying vision impairments by monitoring the changes in the retinal circuitry of diabetic mouse models.