Michaela Kralikova, MSc, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
michaela.kralikova@lfmotol.cuni.cz
Experimental Neurophysiology Group
Department of Physiology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
Scientific background
I was originally interested in molecular mechanisms of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCRs) function. Using molecular biology and biochemistry methods I determined the receptor domains important for activation of G-proteins. I designed and created mutant and chimeric proteins to study receptor complexes and their role in function of these receptors. Later I focused on the role of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in schizophrenia. I learned the patch-clamp method to be able to record the properties of neurons and to track changes in synaptic transmission. I would like to use my experience as well as new optogenetic and chemogenetic methods to contribute to the study of epilepsy.
Research interests
Our team studies the pathological types of neurons within the epileptic tissue. We want to investigate the possibility that increased activity of these neurons could be responsible for the initiation of seizures. We would like to regulate activity of the different subtypes by novel optogenetic and chemogenetic methods. We want to increase firing of neurons to see whether it could result in seizures, and subsequently, we plan to decrease their activity to diminish the epileptic activity. We will do our best to contribute to a targeted treatment of epilepsy.
Selected publications
W. Guo, E. Urizar, M. Kralikova, J.C. Mobarec, L. Shi, M. Filizola, J.A. Javitch. Dopamine D2 receptors form higher order oligomers at physiological expression levels. The EMBO Journal, 2008, 27 (17), 2293-304. https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2008.153