معرفی
Keith Murai, PhD is a Senior Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) at the Montreal General Hospital site, where he is part of the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Program within the Centre for Translational Biology. He holds a professorship in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and is affiliated with the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
Dr. Murai's research focuses on understanding how neurons and glial cells cooperate to regulate brain development and homeostasis, and discovering mechanisms that regulate the plasticity of synapses underlying memory formation, neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. His work employs advanced approaches including neuronal/astrocyte-specific and time-controlled gene deletion in mice, in utero electroporation (IUE), viral gene delivery, confocal/2-photon imaging, and behavioral analysis. His research also incorporates human postmortem tissue analysis (Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome) and human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technologies to advance understanding of neuronal and astrocytic alterations in brain disorders.
Analysis of Dr. Murai's publication record reveals a strong focus on astrocyte biology across multiple contexts - from fundamental morphology and heterogeneity to roles in neurodevelopmental disorders like Down syndrome and autism, and neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease. His work consistently demonstrates how astrocytes interact with other neural cell types and contribute to both normal brain function and disease pathology. Recent publications show increasing emphasis on chromatin regulation in astrocytes, neuroinflammation mechanisms, and advanced imaging techniques for studying astrocyte dynamics.
Dr. Murai's scientific contributions span multiple high-impact journals including Science, Nature, Cell Reports, and Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, reflecting the significance and interdisciplinary nature of his work at the intersection of neuroscience, cell biology, and molecular genetics.
