Thomas O’Dell

Thomas J. O’Dell is a Professor of Physiology and Associate Director of the Brain Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research focuses on synaptic plasticity mechanisms, particularly long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), in the hippocampus. He investigates β-adrenergic signaling, NMDA receptor dynamics, and astrocyte calcium signaling in learning and memory processes. O’Dell’s work bridges molecular neurobiology with behavioral neuroscience, emphasizing how synaptic changes underlie cognitive functions.

Research Interests:

• Neuronal plasticity mechanisms in hippocampal circuits
• Role of NMDA receptors in synaptic function and disease
• β-Adrenergic modulation of LTP
• Calcium signaling in astrocytes and its impact on synaptic transmission

Grants & Funding:

• NIH R21MH115404 (Mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity)
• NIH R01NS060677 (Astrocyte calcium signaling in striatum)
• NIH R01MH060919 (NMDA receptor signaling in LTP)

Labs/Teams: O’Dell leads a lab at the UCLA Brain Research Institute, collaborating on projects involving synaptic physiology, proteomics, and behavioral neuroscience.