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Dr Nicola Hamilton-Whitaker


WIBR Seminar

'Neurotransmitter effects on the birth and death of oligodendrocytes'

Dr Nicola Hamilton-Whitaker Photo
Dr Nicola Hamilton-Whitaker

Senior Research Fellow
Neuro, Physiology & Pharmacology
Div of Biosciences

Host: Professor William D. Richardson

My recent research is focused on studying neuron-glial communication, particularly how neurons and glial cells support or harm each other in pathology. My latest publication (Nature, in press) shows that oligodendrocytes, the glial cells which wrap neurons in order to speed the conduction velocity of axonal action potentials, express a receptor that can be activated in models simulating stroke. The existence of these receptors on glial cells is a new concept, but in other organs they are known as targets for noxious and inflammatory irritants. We now need to determine why these receptors are there, how they normally function, if they are activated in other demyelinating diseases and if so, whether pharmacological inhibition of them is protective.

Links

https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=NBHAM12

Download poster

Date: Thursday 12th May 2016
Time: 4pm (please arrive 15 mins before start) 
Venue: Cruciform Café, 1st Floor Cruciform Building, Gower Street, UCL, WC1E 6BT

Refreshments will be provided