This study shows that astrocytic IP3R2-mediated calcium signaling is essential for glutamatergic synapse maturation and visual circuit function in the mouse visual cortex.

Communications Biology · Jul 11, 2026Peer-reviewedNeuroscience

Sleep rescues age-associated loss of glial engulfment

Jiwei Zhang, Elizabeth Brown, Evan Lloyd, Eshani Yeragi, Isabella Farhy-Tselnicker, Alex C. Keene

This study shows that sleep restoration in aged Drosophila improves glial clearance of damaged axons by restoring Draper expression and transcriptional responses to injury.

PLoS Genetics · Jan 13, 2026Peer-reviewedNeuroscience

A circadian behavioral analysis suite for real-time classification of daily rhythms in complex behaviors

L. J. Perry, Gavin E. Ratcliff, Arthur Mayo, Blanca Perez, Larissa Rays Wahba, K. L. Nikhil, William C. Lenzen, Yangyuan Li, Jordan S Mar, Isabella Farhy-Tselnicker, Wanhe Li, Jeff R. Jones

The paper develops a system for real-time classification of circadian rhythms in complex mouse behaviors, finding sex and estrogen influence several circadian properties.

Cell Reports Methods · May 1, 2025Peer-reviewedAnimal Behavior & Cognition

Activity-Dependent Modulation of Synapse-Regulating Genes in Astrocytes

Isabella Farhy-Tselnicker, Matthew Boisvert, Hanqing Liu, Cari C. Dowling, Galina A. Erikson, Elena Blanco‐Suárez, Chen Farhy, Maxim Nikolaievich Shokhirev, Joseph R. Ecker, Nicola J. Allen

The paper identifies astrocyte synapse-regulating genes in the developing mouse visual cortex and shows their expression is modulated by neuronal activity and calcium signaling.

eLife · Sep 8, 2021Peer-reviewedNeuroscience