Research Disciplines: Neuroscience, Glial Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology

Research Interests: neuron-glia and glial-glial interactions throughout development and disease

Research Description: 

The Coutinho-Budd lab is interested in the cellular and molecular aspects of glial cell development and function. Glia are critical components of the nervous system—almost everything that neurons do requires glial support.  Significant progress has been made in understanding neuron-glia interactions at synapses and axons, but our lab aims to define what glia do at neuronal cell bodies.  We also seek to understand how these glial cells interact with neighboring glial cells, and to unravel their roles in disease.

Selected Publications:

Jindal, DA, Leier HC, Salazar G, Foden AJ, Seitz EA, Wilkov AJ, Coutinho-Budd J*, and Broihier HT*. (2023) Early Draper-mediated glial refinement of neuropil architecture and synapse number in the Drosophila antennal lobe. Front Cell Neurosci 17:1166199 *co-corresponding authors

Salazar G, Ross G, Maserejian AE, and Coutinho-Budd J. (2022) Quantifying glial-glial tiling using automated image analysis in Drosophila. Front Cell Neuroscience, 16:826483.

McLaughlin CM, Perry-Richardson J, Coutinho-Budd J, and Broihier HT. (2019) Dying neurons utilize innate immune signaling to prime glia for phagocytosis during development. Dev Cell 48, 506-522. 

Coutinho-Budd J, Sheehan A, and Freeman M. (2017) The secreted neurotrophin Spätzle3 promotes glial morphogenesis and supports neuronal survival and function. Genes Dev 31, 2023–2038.