Periactive Zone Research Laboratory
Avital Adah Rodal · Waltham, Massachusetts
Brandeis University · Biology
Research focus
Dr. Avital Adah Rodal's lab at Brandeis University focuses on understanding how neurons communicate through specialized structures called periactive zones. These structures play critical roles in neuronal functions such as synaptic transmission and are linked to various neurological disorders. The lab uses advanced imaging techniques and genetic models to investigate the assembly and function of periactive zones in both simple and complex nervous systems, hoping to uncover insights that can help develop therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
neuronal communicationperiactive zonesynaptic transmissionvesicle traffickingneurological disordersDrosophilaimaging techniquesneuropeptide secretion
Research aims
5AIM 01Examine how periactive zones assemble during synapse formation.
AIM 02Identify the role of synaptic adhesion molecules in PAZ organization.
AIM 03Investigate how PAZ proteins regulate neuropeptide secretion.
AIM 04Explore the relationship between PAZ functions and neurological disorders.
AIM 05Apply findings from Drosophila studies to understand human neuronal function.
Skills the lab values
live imagingsuper-resolution microscopyimage analysisgenetic manipulationDrosophila modelsneurophysiologycell cultureprotein analysisbiochemical assays
Output against the department
90publicationsbottom 30% of the department726th of 1,033
most publishedleast published
4.3kcitationsbottom 32% of the department700th of 1,033
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. Position on each rail is this lab's rank, not its distance from the top: a department runs from one paper to tens of thousands, so rank is the only comparison that stays readable across it.