I.C. Learning & Memory
Alcino Silva
The Silva laboratory is studying the molecular, cellular and circuit processes that underlie the allocation, encoding, storage and linking of memories. To accomplish this they are using a variety of techniques including sophisticated molecular genetic approaches, optical physiology, optogenetics, in vivo 2 photon imaging, a new generation of head-mounted fluorescent miniscopes and behavioral analyses.
Silva and colleagues are also studiying the impact of these mechanisms in animal models of cognitive disorders, including intellectual disabilities. Based on these mechanistic studies, they have developed treatments for Noonan Syndrome, age-related cognitive decline, Neurofibromatosis type I, Tuberous Sclerosis, and cognitive deficits associated with HIV. The Silva laboratory is also developing approaches to accelerate recovery after brain injury and bioinformatic strategies for tracking and planning experiments (researchmaps.org).
Website
Recent Publications
Mary T. Joy, Einor Ben Assayag, Dalia Shabashov-Stone, Sigal Liraz-Zaltsman, Nikita S. Thareja,Marcela Arenas, Efrat Kliper, Amos D. Korczyn, Efrat L. Kesner, Miou Zho, Shan Huang2, Tawnie K. Silva2, Noomi, Katz, Natan M. Bornstein, Alcino J. Silva, Esther Shohami, Stanley T. Carmichael. CCR5 is a therapeutic target to stimulate recovery in stroke and traumatic brain injury. Cell 2019
Frank, A. C., S. Huang, M. Zhou, A. Gdalyahu, G. Kastellakis, T. K. Silva, E. Lu, X. Wen, P. Poirazi, J. T. Trachtenberg and A. J. Silva (2018). "Hotspots of dendritic spine turnover facilitate clustered spine addition and learning and memory." Nat Commun 9(1): 422
Cai DJ, Aharoni D, Shuman T, Shobe J, Biane J, Song W, Wei B, Veshkini M, La-Vu M, Lou J, Flores S, Kim I, Sano Y, Zhou M, Baumgaertel K, Lavi A, Kamata M, Tuszynski M, Mayford M, Golshani P, Silva AJ. A shared neural ensemble links distinct contextual memories encoded close in time. Nature 2016 May 23;534(7605):115-8 PMID:27251287
Miou Zhou Stuart Greenhill Shan Huang Tawnie K Silva Yoshitake Sano Shumin Wu Ying Cai Yoshiko Nagaoka Megha Sehgal Denise J Cai Yong-Seok Lee Kevin Fox Alcino J Silva. CCR5 is a suppressor for cortical plasticity and hippocampal learning and memory. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.20985; Published December 20, 2016; Cite as eLife 2016;10.7554/eLife.20985. PMID: 27996938; PMCID: PMC5213777
Silva, A.J. (2017). Memory's Intricate Web. Sci Am 317, 30-37. PMID:28632232
Lisman, John, Cooper, Katie, Segal, Megha, and Silva, Alcino J. Memory formation depends on both synapse specific modifications of synaptic strength and cell-specific increases in excitability. Nature Neuroscience 2018 Mar;21(3):309-314. doi: 10.1038/s41593-018-0076-6. Epub 2018 Feb 12.
Frank AC, Huang S, Zhou M, Gdalyahu A, Kastellakis G, Silva TK, Lu E, Wen X, Poirazi P, Trachtenberg JT, Silva AJ. Hotspots of dendritic spine turnover facilitate clustered spine addition and learning and memory. Nat Commun. 2018 Jan 29;9(1):422. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02751-2. PMID: 29379017
