Linda Hsieh-Wilson

Harnessing Chemistry and Carbohydrate-Based Tools to Discover New Mechanisms of Neuronal Communication in the Brain

The field of chemical neurobiology is rapidly evolving and providing insights into the molecules and interactions involved in neuronal development, sensory perception and memory storage. We will describe the synergistic application of organic chemistry and neurobiology to understand how specific carbohydrate molecules contribute to neuronal signaling in the brain. By combining synthetic organic and polymer chemistry, computational chemistry, proteomics studies, and in vivo biology, we have shown that carbohydrates actively participate in signaling events that underlie fundamental processes such as gene regulation, neuroregeneration, and the formation of neural circuits.