Dr. Carlos Portera-Cailliau investigates synaptic and circuit changes in the mouse model of Fragile X syndrome in his lab at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, where he is on faculty. He has received grants from the NIH, the Dana Foundation, the March of Dimes Foundation, the Simons Foundation, and the John Merck Fund. From 2013 to 2021 he was the co-director of the UCLA-Caltech medical Scientist Training Program. He still sees patients in the movement disorders clinic.
Neurobiology
Psychologists glimpse biological imprint of childhood neglect
The absence of a loving caregiver in the earliest years of life could sway the normal activity of two hormones – vasopressin and oxytocin – that play an essential role in the ability to form healthy social bonds and emotional intimacy.