Cope, Elise
Primary Appointment
Neuroscience
Education
- BS, Biology, Florida State University
- PhD, Biomedical Science, Florida State University
- Postdoc, Neuroscience, Princeton University
Contact Information
409 Lane Rd
MR4-5010
Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
Telephone: 434-982-1820
Email: elise.cope@virginia.edu
Website: https://copelab.org
Research Disciplines
Cell and Developmental Biology, Development, Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration, Neuroimmunology, Neuroscience, Stem Cells & Regeneration
Research Interests
Adult-born neurons, perineuronal nets, and microglia in hippocampal plasticity and behavior in health and disease
Research Description
What are the mechanisms by which neuronal and nonneuronal forms of structural plasticity contribute to social memory in the healthy and diseased brain? To answer this question, my lab uses a variety of pharmacologic, transgenic, viral, and environmental manipulations combined with histology, in vivo electrophysiology, and behavioral analyses. We focus on the hippocampus, a brain region that not only plays an important role in social memory, but also undergoes substantial plasticity into adulthood. Ongoing projects explore adult-born granule cells, glia, and perineuronal nets in mediating hippocampal plasticity and social memory with the ultimate goal of our work to understand the impact of the collective interactions of these cells and extracellular structures.