Kelsey C. Martin

Kelsey C. Martin, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Her research focuses on understanding synaptic plasticity and its molecular mechanisms underlying learning, memory, and neuropsychiatric disorders. She leads the Martin Lab, which investigates how neuronal activity regulates gene expression to enable long-lasting synaptic changes.

Her research interests include synaptonuclear signaling, activity-dependent gene regulation, and the role of astrocytes and neuromodulators (e.g., catecholamines) in plasticity. Recent work explores aging-related changes in gene expression and chromatin accessibility in the hippocampus, particularly sex differences in these processes. The lab employs electrophysiology, optogenetics, and genomic approaches in rodent models.

Key projects involve the CRTC1 transcriptional coactivator, catecholaminergic modulation of hippocampal plasticity, and astrocytic contributions to synaptic plasticity. Her work aims to uncover therapeutic targets for cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric conditions like PTSD and addiction.

Dr. Martin’s lab is located at 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, BSRB 354-08, Los Angeles. She collaborates across disciplines to integrate molecular, cellular, and systems-level insights into neural function and disease.