Carla Shatz
Academic Appointments
- Professor, Biology (School of Humanities and Sciences)
- Professor, Neurobiology
- Member, Bio-X
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 723-0534Alternate Contact Pamela Lynch Executive Administrative Assistant Email Tel Work 650-498-1973
Professional Overview
Administrative Appointments
- Sapp Family Provostial Professorship, Stanford University, Inaugural Chair Holder (2010 - present)
- Director, Bio-X (2007 - present)
Honors and Awards
- Ralph Gerard Prize in Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience (2011)
- Elected Foreign Member, Royal Society, London, England (2011)
- Physiological Society Prize Lecture, Physiological Society Prize Lecture Oxford England (2011)
- Sapp Family Provostial Professorship, Stanford University Inaugural Chair Holder (2010)
- Honorary Degree, James Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (2010)
- Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award, Society for Neuroscience (2009)
Professional Education
| Postdoctoral: | Harvard Medical School, Neurobiology (1978) |
| Ph.D.: | Harvard University, Neurobiology (1976) |
| M.Phil: | University College London, Physiology (1971) |
| B.A.: | Radcliffe College, Cambridge, MA, Chemistry (1969) |
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Internet Links
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
By studying the visual system of mammals, the Shatz Lab discovered that adult wiring emerges from dynamic interactions between neurons involving neural function and synaptic plasticity. Even before birth and long before vision, the eye spontaneously generates and sends coordinated patterns of neural activity to the brain. Blocking this activity in utero, or preventing vision after birth, disrupts normal tuning up of circuits and brain wiring. In turn, neural activity regulates the expression of genes involved in the process of circuit tuning. To discover cell and molecular underpinnings of circuit tuning, her lab has conducted functional screens for genes regulated by neural activity. Among these genes is the MHC (major histocompatibility) Class I family. This finding was very surprising because these genes- HLA genes in humans- are involved in cellular immunity and were previously not thought to be expressed by neurons at all! The Shatz Lab showed that other components of a signaling system for Class I MHC are also present in neurons, including a novel receptor, PirB. By studying and/or generating knockout mice, the lab is exploring a role for these molecules in synaptic plasticity, learning, memory and neurological disorders. The lab employs a variety of approaches in these studies, ranging from molecular biology to slice electrophysiology to in vivo imaging to behavior. Research has relevance not only for understanding brain wiring and developmental disorders such as Autism and Schizphrenia, but also for understanding how the nervous and immune systems interact.
Publications
- Neuroprotection from stroke in the absence of MHCI or PirB. Neuron. 2012; (6): 1100-7
- Synaptic plasticity defect following visual deprivation in Alzheimer's disease model transgenic mice. J Neurosci. 2012; (23): 8004-11
- Classical MHCI molecules regulate retinogeniculate refinement and limit ocular dominance plasticity. Neuron. 2009; (4): 463-70
- Co-regulation of ocular dominance plasticity and NMDA receptor subunit expression in glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 knock-out mice. J Physiol. 2009; (Pt 12): 2857-67
- H2-K(b) and H2-D(b) regulate cerebellar long-term depression and limit motor learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009; (16): 6784-9
- MHC class I: an unexpected role in neuronal plasticity. Neuron. 2009; (1): 40-5
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