NBIO Presents: Karina Cramer, PhD (UC Irvine)

Assembly of Auditory Brainstem Circuitry: The Roles of Microglia

Neural circuits in the auditory brainstem require precise connections with highly specialized functions. How are these pathways assembled during development? We have explored the functions of microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. These cells enter the auditory nuclei early in development and help shape the mature synaptic connections. Removal of microglia results in impaired development and auditory function, but microglial repopulation can restore these processes. We are looking into the mechanisms that microglia use to shape auditory circuitry.