Murali Prakriya, PhD
Murali Prakriya is Professor of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. Prakriya’s research examines the mechanisms and functions of store-operated calcium channels (SOCs). SOCs are expressed in most animal cells and regulate diverse cellular functions ranging from gene expression, immune cell activation, and cell migration. SOCs are formed by the Orai proteins, which comprise the calcium-selective pores of SOCs, and are activated by the STIM proteins, which sense changes in the endoplasmic reticulum calcium concentration. Prakriya’s laboratory is studying the molecular physiology of Orai channels including the mechanisms of Ca2+ ion permeation, and the structural mechanisms of Orai channel gating. Additionally, Prakriya’s laboratory is examining the physiological roles of Orai channels in neurons, glia, and immune cells. He received his training in the laboratories of Dr. Chris Lingle, Washington University (graduate education) and Richard Lewis, Stanford University (postdoc). Prakriya’s talk will discuss the contributions of Orai1 channels for two aspects of brain function: the control of gliotransmitter release from astrocytes, and the regulation of synaptic function, learning, and memory in the hippocampus.