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Harold Mac Gillavry is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that control molecular organization and function at neuronal synapses, aiming to decode the dynamic molecular processes that govern synaptic communication and neuronal signaling. He investigates the intricate workings of synaptic transmission—how electrical impulses lead to the release of neurotransmitters and their subsequent engagement with receptors on the postsynaptic membrane. This transmission process is crucial for neuron-to-neuron communication and plays a vital role in how neuronal circuits encode and store information. Mac Gillavry's work highlights the importance of plasticity in synaptic strength, examining how the trafficking of receptors at synaptic sites influences long-term potentiation and depression, cellular processes central to learning and memory. His interest is particularly directed towards modeling the structural organization of excitatory synapses through multi-domain scaffolding proteins, which are critical for organizing postsynaptic density (PSD) and defining the synapse's structural integrity. Additionally, his findings emphasize the heterogeneous distribution of synaptic proteins, revealing that scaffolding proteins help accumulate receptors at distinct sub-synaptic nanodomains, which may have significant implications for synaptic physiology and the functional outcomes of synaptic signaling.
Department of Psychology