Dr. Hell’s laboratory works on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurotransmission at synapses in the brain.

We study the molecular architecture of the postsynaptic site of glutamatergic synapses in the mammalian brain. We use biochemical, cell biological and electrophysiological methods to investigate how various structural proteins anchor postsynaptic glutamate receptors. We  investigate how  postsynaptic signaling by calcium influx and by protein kinase A (PKA) and other kinases and phosphatases defines postsynaptic glutamate receptor trafficking and accumulation under physiological conditions as occurring during learning. We also study mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease and PTSD.

Accepting students per funding availability.