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Zachary Freyberg, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
Accepting New Students
Yes
Project Accepting Students

The overall long-term goal of Dr. Freyberg’s research is to better understand human disorders of dopaminergic neurotransmission including addiction, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease at cellular and molecular levels. In order to do so, his laboratory has begun dissecting presynaptic dopaminergic neurotransmission at the synaptic vesicle level using a combination of complementary approaches including genetics, pharmacology and both light and electron microscopy. Consequently, the lab’s current research projects include:

  • Mechanisms of Dopamine Synaptic Vesicle Loading and Release in Health and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
  • Dopamine’s Roles Outside the Central Nervous System in Regulation of Pancreatic Hormone Release and Antipsychotic Drug Action.
  • In Situ Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Super-Resolution Imaging Approaches to Vesicle Trafficking and Synaptic Plasticity
  • In Situ Cryo-Electron Tomography Approaches to Super-Resolution Precision Medicine for Mitochondrial Diseases.
Program 1 Research Interests
Schizophrenia; Antipsychotic drug action; Metabolism
Program 2 Research Interests

The lab’s current research projects include:

  • Mechanisms of Dopamine Synaptic Vesicle Loading and Release in Health and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
  • Dopamine’s Roles Outside the Central Nervous System in Regulation of Pancreatic Hormone Release and Antipsychotic Drug Action.
  • In Situ Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Super-Resolution Imaging Approaches to Vesicle Trafficking and Synaptic Plasticity
  • In Situ Cryo-Electron Tomography Approaches to Super-Resolution Precision Medicine for Mitochondrial Diseases.