Induced pluripotent stem cell models of neurodevelopmental disease
We study forebrain neurons differentiated from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells to examine the cellular and synaptic pathophysiology in Angelman syndrome and dup15q autism.
BDNF and endogenous cannabinoid interactions in the neocortex and hippocampus
![synapse pic](https://health.uconn.edu/levine-lab/wp-content/uploads/sites/128/2017/06/synapse-graph-abstract.png)
BDNF modulates presynaptic release probability at cortical glutamatergic synapses via opposing pre- and postsynaptic effects. BDNF activates presynaptic trkB receptors to directly enhance release probability, while simultaneously triggering the postsynaptic release of endocannabinoids that act to decrease release via presynaptic CB1 receptors.
![neuron pics](https://health.uconn.edu/levine-lab/wp-content/uploads/sites/128/2017/06/img18.jpg)