Dr. Abhishek Banerjee

Biography

Abhishek studied Biochemistry for his DPhil in Physiology and Neuroscience at the University of Oxford as a Felix Scholar in the laboratory of Professor Ole Paulsen. During his DPhil, he researched spike timing-dependent learning rules and the roles of presynaptic NMDA receptors in cortical development and plasticity. For his postdoctoral training, Abhishek focused on the cellular mechanisms underlying cortical plasticity as a Simons Foundation Fellow at MIT, working with Professor Mriganka Sur. He investigated circuit mechanisms and inhibitory dysfunctions associated with Rett syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders, revealing crucial insights into altered functional mechanisms. His research proposed therapeutic avenues, including the drug Trofinetide, which has received FDA approval for treating Rett syndrome. He has also held positions as Instructor in the Department of Biology at MIT and a Teaching Fellow in Neurobiology at Harvard University. Abhishek was later awarded the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and the NARSAD Young Investigator Award while collaborating with Professor Fritjof Helmchen at the University of Zürich. He has led research on learning flexibility and plasticity involving prefrontal-sensory interactions. Currently, he serves as a Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford and at Barts and the London Queen Mary University, while also being affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford and the Institute of Neuroinformatics at ETH Zürich.

Research Interests

Experience