Glial Plasticity: How experience and aging change brain structure

大脑中50%的细胞被称为神经胶质细胞。这些细胞与神经元一起调节我们的思维、感觉和行为。大多数神经胶质细胞在出生后被添加到大脑中，然而我们对这个过程是如何工作的知之甚少，也不知道它是如何被生活经验改变的。这项研究的首要目标是更好地理解生活经验是如何影响大脑中主要胶质细胞类型的生长的。为了做到这一点，我将使用尖端技术并识别；1)主要胶质细胞类型的细胞生长速率，2)绘制它们是如何融入大脑的。这将带来关于生活经验如何塑造大脑生长和结构的重要新信息。

50 % of the cells in the brain are called glia. These cells work with neurons to regulate how we think, feel and behave. Most glial cells are added to the brain after birth, however we know very little about how this process works, or how it may be changed by lived-experience. The overarching aim of this study is to better understand how lived-experience impacts the growth of the major types of glial cells in the brain. To do this, I will use cutting-edge technologies and identify; 1) the rates of cell growth for the major types of glia, and 2) map how they are integrated into the brain. This will lead to important new information on how lived-experience can shape the growth and structure of the brain.