Professor Jessica Pressey

Jessica Pressey

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream


Campus

St. George (downtown)

CSB Appointment

Full, Teaching

Research Areas

Animal Biology, Cell Biology, Neurobiology

Education

B.Sc. Carleton University 2010
Ph.D. University of Toronto 2015

Primary Undergraduate Department

Cell & Systems Biology

Graduate Programs

Cell & Systems Biology

Research Description

Our research is focused on discovering the cellular mechanisms underlying inhibitory GABAergic synaptic plasticity in the CNS. We employ a multi-disciplinary approach combining electrophysiology, biochemistry, fluorescence imaging, and behaviour to understand how synapses are built, the mechanisms that underlie their plasticity, and their role in neuronal circuits. Using principles we learn from the study of the healthy brain we unravel mechanisms that lead to neurological disorders and dieseases, including autism spectrum disorder, Huntington’s disease and ALS.


Contact Information

Office Phone: 416-978-8646
Office: RW303
Lab: RW302
Lab Phone: 416-978-1406
Email

Mailing Address

Department of Cell & Systems Biology
University of Toronto
25 Harbord St.
Toronto, ON M5S 3G5

Visit lab’s website


Publications

2021

Convergence of adenosine and GABA signaling for synapse stabilization during development

Gomez-Castro F, Zappettini S, Pressey JC, Silva CG, Russeau M, Gervasi N, Figueiredo M, Montmasson C, Renner M, Canas PM, Gonçalves FQ, Alçada-Morais S, Szabó E, Rodrigues RJ, Agostinho P, Tomé AR, Caillol G, Thoumine O, Nicol X, Leterrier C, Lujan R, Tyagarajan SK, Cunha RA, Esclapez M, Bernard C, Lévi S
2021, Science, 10.1126/science.abk2055

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2020

Cortical interneuron-mediated inhibition delays the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Woodin MA, Kim JC, Robertson J, Zinman L, Keith J, De Koninck Y, Côté D, Gasecka A, Keramidis I, Garand D, Yang JW, Bedard S, Pressey JC, Liang X, Dargaei Z, Place KM, Aqrabawi AJ, Khademullah CS
2020, Brain, 10.1093/brain/awaa034

KCC2 is a hub protein that balances excitation and inhibition

Pressey JC, Mahadevan V, Woodin MA
2020, Neuronal Chloride Transporters in Health and Disease, 10.1016/B978-0-12-815318-5.00008-X

A Novel Small Molecule Targets NKCC1 To Restore Synaptic Inhibition

Raveendran VA, Pressey JC, Woodin MA
2020, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 10.1016/j.tips.2020.10.002

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2017

A kainate receptor subunit promotes the recycling of the neuron-specific K+-Cl−co-transporter KCC2 in hippocampal neurons

Pressey JC, Mahadevan V, Khademullah CS, Dargaei Z, Chevrier J, Ye W, Huang M, Chauhan AK, Meas SJ, Uvarov P, Airaksinen MS, Woodin MA
2017, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 10.1074/jbc.M116.767236

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