David van Lee
Neuron-glia communication is key in healthy brain functioning and has been highly implicated in neuropsychiatry. One of these neuron-glia and glia-glia signaling systems is checkpoint molecule signaling. These molecules act as checkpoints to control and inhibit microglial activation in the central nervous system.
As part of work package 5, my PhD project focusses on understanding the role of the checkpoint molecule CD200 and its receptor CD200R, which are implicated in the immune-suppressed phenotype of microglia in major depressive disorder. Using state-of-the-art techniques, such as (subcellular) patch-clamp, CRISPR/Cas9 and live-cell imaging, we hope to gain a better understanding of how CD200-CD200R signaling contributes to central nervous system function and how imbalances in this cascade can contribute to neuronal and (micro)glial dysfunction.