Research in my laboratory is primarily on molecular and cellular neurophysiology. The focus is to answer the question: What are the molecular mechanisms that neurons use to communicate?

Communication between individual neurons is essential to brain and nervous system functions, such as movement, sensation, learning and memory. Thus, it is critically important to determine how the individual cells work if we are to ultimately understand how the brain and nervous system control higher order functions.

We use Drosophila genetics and transgenic technology to study molecules important for synaptic transmission, synaptic development, and plasticity. The main research strategy is to create mutants in genes of interest and then study the effects of these mutants on neural function using electrophysiology, electron microscopy, biochemistry and immunocytochemistry.This basic approach will lead to a fundamental understanding of brain function and will identify therapeutic approaches to neural disease.

The two main areas of research are:

• Basic synaptic physiology of Drosophila neuromuscular synapses.
• The role of SNARE proteins in synaptic vesicle fusion

from Sutton et al. (1998) Nature 395, 347-353.