Northwestern University · PhysiologyContractor Lab
Anis Contractor · Evanston, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Anis Contractor's lab at Northwestern University studies the mechanisms that allow brain cells to adapt and change to support memory formation and retrieval. By focusing on a specific type of synapse in the hippocampus, the lab seeks to understand the roles of certain proteins in enhancing communication between neurons, particularly in relation to memory. This research not only helps in understanding normal brain function but also addresses how these processes may go awry in conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
hippocampussynaptic plasticityneurotransmitter releasememory formationcAMPproteomicselectrophysiologymolecular mechanismsprotein kinases
Research Aims
3AIM 01Identify the signaling partners and substrates of PKA and Epac2 involved in mossy fiber long-term potentiation (LTP).
AIM 02Determine the physiological mechanisms leading to enhanced neurotransmitter release at mossy fiber synapses.
AIM 03Investigate the effects of disrupting cAMP signaling on the ability of mice to separate similar memories.
Skills the Lab Values
biochemical assaysproteomicselectrophysiologyoptogeneticsmouse modelsconfocal microscopyin situ hybridizationpharmacological interventionsdata analysis using Python
Output against the department
Publications104bottom 30% of dept.199th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.5ktop 50% of dept.143rd of 286
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.