Jennifer Wanyi Jia

Interests

My research is on myelin plasticity during adulthood and how myelin dynamics may be influenced by neuronal plasticity. Oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system produce myelin, which is essential for ensuring fast signal transmission in neurons, providing synchronization of neuronal impulses, and ensuring axonal maintenance. Unlike previously believed, increasing evidence show that myelin changes throughout life. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes until old age, and several studies demonstrate that de novo myelination onto previously unmyelinated axons and myelin remodeling of existing sheaths’ length, thickness, and number occurs in many CNS regions. Both human and murine studies suggest that neuronal activity plays a role in de novo myelination and myelin remodeling, the two components of myelin plasticity. My thesis aims to understand how neuronal activity regulates myelin plasticity, and whether bidirectional changes could occur.

Research Focus

Equipment

Confocal microscopy

Electrophysiological recording techniques

Fluorescence microscopy

Immunohistochemistry

Microscopy

Recombinant protein expression

Whole cell patch clamp