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The Department of Pediatrics would like to introduce our newest Tenure Track PhD recruit Dr. Aparna Suvrathan, Assistant Professor.

Dr. Suvrathan has a joint appointment in Pediatrics and Neurology/Neurosurgery. Her home division in Pediatrics will be Pediatric Neurology and her lab is situated at the Centre for Research in the Neurosciences at the MGH site of the MUHC.

"I joined the Centre for Research in Neuroscience in January 2018, as part of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Department of Pediatrics. Prior to this, I had completed a postdoctoral fellowship from Stanford University, California, in 2017, and a PhD from the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India.

I am particularly interested in how the brain adapts during learning, what rules determine how a specific set of synapses or cells is modified during learning, and how such changes, distributed across a network, result in behavioral modification. Specifically, how is synaptic and cellular plasticity translated into a circuit output and ultimately to an adapted behavior? What rules determine how neurons are modified during the formation of a memory? Ultimately, I am interested in how the brain can adapt itself, and how this ability is perturbed in disorders such as autism. To accomplish these goals, my lab will investigate simple forms of motor learning in rodents – at the synaptic, circuit, and behavioral levels. In addition, we are interested in the role the cerebellum plays in autism spectrum disorders, which we will address by studying both motor and non-motor behavior and its dysfunction in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome.

On a more personal note, I spend a lot of my time outside the lab enjoying the great outdoors in a variety of ways. Whenever possible, you’ll find me out hiking, running, swimming, biking, climbing or skiing. Without actually being skilled at any of these, my interests lie in exploring, experiencing, and immersing myself in nature – and any sport or activity is a means to that end. But I’m also really enjoying the cultural opportunities that Montreal offers! As a newcomer to Canada, I look forward to all there is to discover."

- Dr. Aparna Suvrathan