Welcome to the Salinas Lab My laboratory is studying the molecular mechanisms that regulate synapse formation, maintenance and function in the vertebrate nervous system. We are particularly interested in the hippocampus and striatum, which are implicated in learning and memory and reward and decision-making, respectively. We use a multidisciplinary approach that includes the use of cellular, molecular and transgenic techniques combined with the latest technology of live cell imaging, electrophysiology and behavioural analyses. Our lab was the first to demonstrate that Wnt proteins regulate the formation of neuronal circuits. We found that specific Wnt proteins promote the formation of synapses in the central and peripheral nervous systems by stimulating the assembly of presynaptic sites or the clustering of postsynaptic receptors. Currently, we are investigating the mechanisms by which Wnt signalling regulates the formation of central synapses, in particular the formation and growth of dendritic spines in the hippocampus and how these structural changes impinge on synaptic plasticity. Another major project in the lab is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which Wnt signalling promotes the maintenance of synapses in the adult brain and how dysfunction of Wnt signalling contributes to synaptic disassembly in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.