Plasticity, or the adaptive response of the brain to changes in inputs, is essential to brain development and function. The developing brain requires a genetic blueprint but is also acutely sensitive to the environment. The adult brain constantly adapts to changes in stimuli, and this plasticity is manifest not only as learning and memory but also as dynamic changes in information transmission and processing. The goal of the Sur laboratory is to understand long-term plasticity and short-term dynamics in networks of the developing and adult cortex. In addition, we aim to use insights from brain development to understand mechanisms of developmental brain disorders.

" MIT unlocks mystery behind brain imaging, "
MIT News Office, June 19, 2008.

" Star-Shaped Brain Cells Make Scans Possible, "
The Washington Post, June 19, 2008.

" New role for supporting brain cells, "
The Scientist, June 19, 2008.