Morgan Bridi, BS, PhD

Research Interests

My lab’s primary goal is to investigate how the brain's circuits and synapses (especially those made by inhibitory neurons) develop and change under typical and atypical/aversive/challenging conditions. We study sensory and stress circuitry in the context of neurodevelopmental conditions, stroke, and early-life adversity, asking both basic scientific questions and questions relevant to human health. The lab relies on mice as model organisms, and uses techniques that include immunohistochemistry, microscopy, behavior, in vivo biosensor imaging, and ex vivo electrophysiology, so that we can investigate from the single-cell level to the entire animal.

Research topics include:

· Measuring and manipulating activity in stress-responsive hypothalamic nuclei to improve post-stroke outcomes

· The role of canonical stress-signaling pathways and molecules in sensory circuits and sensory processing.

· Inhibitory maturation and development in stress and sensory circuits in models of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Publications

[2024]

• Montgomery KR, Bridi MS, Folts LM, Marx-Rattner R, Zierden HC, Wulff AB, Kodjo EA, Thompson SM, Bale TL. (2024). Chemogenetic activation of CRF neurons as a model of chronic stress produces sex-specific physiological and behavioral effects. Neuropsychopharmacology. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01739-5. PMID: 37833589.

[2021]

• Frei JA, Niescier RF, Bridi MS, Durens M, Nestor JE, Kilander MBC, Yuan X, Dykxhoorn DM, Nestor MW, Huang S, Blatt GJ, Lin YC. (2021). Regulation of Neural Circuit Development by Cadherin-11 Provides Implications for Autism. Eneuro, 7;8(4):ENEURO.0066-21.2021.
• Brandenburg C, Smith LA, Kilander MBC, Bridi MS, Lin YC, Huang S, Blatt GJ. (2021). Parvalbumin subtypes of cerebellar Purkinje cells contribute to differential intrinsic firing properties. Mol Cell Neurosci., 115:103650.

[2020]

• Bridi MS & Schoch H., Florian C, Poplawski SG, Banerjee A, Hawk JD, Hahn CG, Havekes R, Spruston N, & Abel T (2020). The transcriptional co-repressor SIN3A regulates hippocampal synaptic plasticity via Homer1/mGluR5 signaling. The Journal of Clinical Investigation: Insight; 2020, 5(5): e92385.
• Bridi M, Shin S, Huang S, & Kirkwood A. (2020). Dynamic recovery from depression enables rate encoding in inhibitory synapses. iScience, 2020, 23(3): 100940. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100940.
• Shen W, Kilander M, Bridi M, Frei J, Niescier R, Huang S, & Lin YC. (2020). Tomosyn regulates the small RhoA GTPase to control the dendritic stability of neurons and the surface expression of AMPA receptors. The Journal of Neuroscience Research.

[2017]

• Bridi M, Park SM, & Huang S. (2017). Developmental disruption of GABAAR-meditated inhibition in Cntnap2-KO mice. eNeuro, v.4(5); Sep-Oct 2017.
• Kronberg G, Bridi M, Abel T, & Parra LC. (2017). Direct current stimulation modulates LTP and LTD: Activity dependence and dendritic effects. Brain Stimulation, 10(1): 51-58.
• Bridi MS, Hawk JD, Chatterjee S, Safe S, & Abel T. (2017). Pharmacological activators of the NR4A nuclear receptors enhances LTP in a CREB/CBP-dependent manner. Neuropsychopharmacology, 42(6): 1243-1253.

[2013]

• Bridi MS & Abel T. (2013) The NR4A orphan nuclear receptors mediate transcription-dependent hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 105: 151-158.

[2012]

• Hawk JD, Bookout AL, Poplawski SG, Bridi M, Rao AJ, Sulewski ME, Kroener BT,Nr4a nuclear receptors support memory enhancement by histone deacetylase inhibitors. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 122(10): 3593-3602.