Molecular Neuroscience

Head: Dr. Hubert Van Tol
The dopaminergic signalling system in the central nervous system is one of the main targets for therapeutic intervention in a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease. One of the main goals of the section's research is to obtain a complete understanding of the individual components of the dopaminergic signalling system, so that the contribution of this system to the development of disease can be evaluated, therapeutic intervention can be improved and treatment side-effects minimized. The section is also investigating the effecters of the dopamine signalling system, in particular, the G protein activated inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRK).