University of California-San Diego · BiologyCognitive Metabolism and Neuron Function Lab
Gulcin Pekkurnaz · La Jolla, California
Research Focus
Dr. Gulcin Pekkurnaz's lab at UC San Diego studies how the brain's energy metabolism supports cognitive functions like memory and perception. The team focuses on specific brain cells called fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons, which require a lot of energy to help maintain brain rhythms crucial for cognitive tasks. By understanding how these neurons produce and regulate energy, they hope to uncover links between nutrition, brain function, and disorders like Alzheimer's disease.
neuroscienceenergy metabolismcognitive functionneurodegenerative diseasesneuronal oscillationsfast-spiking interneuronsAlzheimer's diseasemitochondriabrain health
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how metabolic pathways support energy needs in fast-spiking interneurons.
AIM 02Identify proteins that regulate energy generation in PV interneurons.
AIM 03Examine how energy metabolism affects neuronal oscillations.
AIM 04Understand the relationship between metabolism and cognitive functions.
AIM 05Explore the impact of nutritional states on brain health.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureelectrophysiologygenetic screeningcalcium imagingprotein extractionWestern blottingbioinformaticsmetabolic assaysanimal modelsdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications40bottom 8% of dept.950th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.4kbottom 9% of dept.944th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.