Laura Bianchi
Professor, Physiology and Biophysics
Miller School of Medicine
l.bianchi@med.miami.edu
Dr. Laura Bianchi’s lab at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine studies how glial cells interact with neurons to regulate nervous system function in health, aging, and disease. Traditionally seen as support cells, glia are now recognized as active players in neural signaling, capable of releasing and up taking signaling molecules and ions through specialized channels and transporters. Using RNA sequencing, the lab has identified over 30 glia-enriched membrane proteins that may play critical but largely unexplored roles in synapse regulation. The lab focuses on several key areas of research. One is the function of KCNQ ion channels in glia, examining their impact on neuronal excitability, synaptic health, and behaviors relevant to epilepsy and autism. Another area investigates how glia contribute to mechanosensation, particularly their role in touch receptor circuits and tactile perception. The team also explores how glial cells influence aging, stress resistance, and neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s. Additionally, they study how BAR-domain proteins, especially those influenced by CDC42, shape cell membranes using C. elegans and advanced imaging techniques like cryo-EM. Using a comprehensive approach that combines molecular genetics, imaging, electrophysiology, and behavioral studies, the Bianchi Lab seeks to uncover the diverse and active roles that glial cells play in the nervous system and in overall organismal physiology throughout development and in the context of disease.
Keywords: glial cells, aging, epilepsy, autism, mechanosensation, Huntington’s disease
