University of Maryland, Baltimore · PharmacologyBlanpied Lab
Thomas A Blanpied · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Thomas A. Blanpied's lab studies how specific proteins at synapses in the brain influence communication between nerve cells. They focus on a type of receptor that’s critical for understanding learning, memory, and various brain disorders. The research combines advanced imaging techniques with molecular biology to explore how these receptors are positioned and organized within synapses, impacting their function and the potential for plastic changes in the brain.
NMDA receptorssynaptic plasticityneurosciencesynapse architectureglutamate signaling
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the impact of synaptic nanostructure on NMDA receptor activation.
AIM 02Examine how NMDA receptors influence the structure of synapses.
AIM 03Utilize machine learning to analyze protein organization at synapses.
AIM 04Conduct mutagenesis to study receptor dynamics in synaptic context.
AIM 05Create a data atlas to define different synapse subtypes influenced by NMDA receptors.
Skills the Lab Values
high-throughput optical physiologyDNA-PAINTsynaptic imagingMonte Carlo modelingmachine learningmutagenesis techniques
Output against the department
Publications85bottom 19% of dept.372nd of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.5kbottom 46% of dept.250th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.