Neuronal and Synaptic Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Dr. Carlo Sala is a Senior Researcher at the Neuroscience Institute within the National Research Council of Italy, and is also affiliated with Department of Biomedical Science and Translational Medicine at the University of Milano. He has previously edited a Synaptic Plasticity volume for Springer, and is author and co-author of over eighty peer-reviewed papers published in international scientific journals in the field of neuroscience. His laboratory is interested in understanding the function of various proteins which regulate neuronal synapse formation and plasticity, and their association with ASDs and intellectual disability. Among other valuable research contributions, his research group was the first to connect synapse function to mutations in SHANK genes, which are one of the most common genetic causes of autism.

Dr. Chiara Verpelli is affiliated with the Neuroscience Institute at the National Research Council of Italy, and is also affiliated with Department of Biomedical Science and Translational Medicine at the University of Milano. With interests in chemical and pharmacological technology as well, she has co-authored multiple papers in high-impact international scientific journals. Her research focus is to understand the genes involved in synapse development and function, and more recently the use of patient-specific stem cells to study neurodevelopmental diseases including ASD and intellectual disability.