Rasmussen Group - Neuronal Ion Channels

In the Rasmussen group, we study the role of neuronal ion channels in health and disease. Our primary focus is on the ion channels of the axon initial segment, the subcellular site of action potential generation. Using primary neurons and various biochemical and imaging techniques, we dissect the molecular architecture underlying this major decision-making process in a nerve cell.

Research focus

Neuronal ion channels shape the electrical properties of nerve cells. They generate and propagate action potentials, activate and modulate neurotransmitter release and influence dendritic signal processing. In short, they are involved in every aspect of the electrical information processing in the brain and thereby shape the signals of the nervous system and its consequent responses.

We study neuronal ion channels with a particular focus on the channels localized at the axon initial segment, the site in neurons that generates the action potentials. We aim to understand how the ion channel architecture of the axon initial segment shapes neuronal firing by:

Uncovering the ion channel architecture of the axon initial segment including the molecular mechanisms underlying its establishment and regulation
Developing optogenetic tools to study the functional consequences of alterations to the axon initial segment ion channel make-up

The overarching aim is to understand how the axon initial segment controls neuronal output at the molecular level, which will allow for output modulation in the future.