Anna Francesconi

Anna Francesconi, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her research focuses on elucidating molecular mechanisms of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) signaling in neuronal plasticity and homeostasis, particularly in neuropsychiatric disorders like Fragile X syndrome, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia. Her work combines molecular biology, biochemistry, and imaging techniques to investigate receptor-lipid interactions, synaptic functions, and developmental brain abnormalities.

Research in the Francesconi Laboratory is supported by grants from NINDS, NIMH, Autism Speaks, and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award. Key areas of exploration include mGluR-interacting proteins, lipid raft proteomics, and synaptic remodeling mechanisms. Recent studies emphasize the role of mGluR1 in stabilizing spine synaptopodin and its implications for long-term depression (LTD) in Fragile X models.

• Key Awards: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award
• Funding: NIH grants (NINDS/NIMH), Autism Speaks, and private foundations

Laboratory activities include proteomic profiling, electrophysiology, and in vivo animal models to dissect mGluR-dependent pathways. Ongoing projects aim to develop targeted therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders through molecular insights into synaptic dysfunction.