Roberto Malinow, Ph.D.

Professor, Section of Neurobiology, UCSD,
Professor of Neurosciences, UCSD
Shiley Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease Research in Honor of Dr. Leon Thal

Dr. Malinow’s research is directed toward understanding how the brain forms and stores memories. His laboratory examines how neuronal activity controls the strength of communication between neurons, at sites called synapses. Synapses are key sites affected by diseases of cognition. Synaptic plasticity, or the ability of the connection between neurons to vary, is thought to underlie the formation and storage of memories. It is thought that a detailed understanding of synaptic plasticity will identify critical steps that may be the targets of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Such an understanding eventually may lead to treatments that prevent the disease.