Dr Raphael Ricci

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Neural Migration Laboratory at the Queensland Brain Institute. I investigate the capacity of neural stem cells to shape neural circuit formation, maintenance and function during development and throughout adulthood, both in the healthy brain and under pathological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. Under the supervision of Prof Helen Cooper, I am working to determine how WRC-Cyfip-FMRP network affects apical radial glial progenitors’ proliferation and neurogenesis, leading to cortical malformation and ASD-like behaviour in mice. During my PhD at University of Tasmania and under the supervision of A/Prof Kaylene Young, I investigated how neuronal activity shapes oligodendrocyte lineage cell behaviour in the healthy brain and in pathologies such as multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia. I have a long-standing interest in neuroscience research, that extends from understanding how brain function is regulated during development and in healthy ageing through to the pathways that enable neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.