Drawing on personal experience with depression and anxiety, this researcher studies synaptic adhesion molecules—key proteins that shape how neural connections form and adapt. By understanding how these molecules change across development, the work aims to uncover molecular mechanisms behind neuropsychiatric disorders and inform future treatments or prevention strategies.

This research uncovers how two proteins, GluA1 and PKC, regulate behavioural flexibility in the striatum. Deleting GluA1 causes animals to get “stuck,” mirroring symptoms in OCD, addiction, and autism. A new molecular tool restores flexibility by 80% in hours, offering a potential pathway for future neuropsychiatric treatments.