Ten Harder (they/them)

Using Drosophila as a model organism, I will be investigating phagocytic cell death in the brain during synaptic pruning, where glial cells engulf dendritic spines and synapses. Synaptic pruning pruning is important for learning and cognitive function, is affected by stress, experience, and genetics, and can lead to disorder when dysregulated. Understanding the mechanisms of synaptic pruning will uncover more about neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.