Research Interests

The focus of the Guizzetti lab has been the investigation of physiological and pathological mechanisms involving astrocytes and astrocyte-neuron interactions in the developing and adult brain. We are studying mechanisms of neuronal structural plasticity modulated by extracellular matrix proteins and extracellular matrix protease systems produced by astrocytes. The emphasis of our studies is on mechanisms affected by developmental ethanol exposure as in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, and by alcohol drinking in adults as in Alcohol Use Disorders. Our areas of expertise include glial cell biology, molecular biology, and epigenetics. Since factors released by astrocytes affecting neuronal functions include glycoproteins and lipids (lipoproteins), our research interests extend into glycobiology and lipid research. We use both in vivo and in vitro models to address our questions. Our more recent research focuses on the study of the in vivo astrocyte translatome, astrocyte nuclear transcriptome, and astrocyte epigenome in alcohol-dependence and fetal alcohol.

Phone
503-220-8262 x58618