Lauren Orefice headshot

Lauren L Orefice, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Genetics

Our lab studies the development and function somatosensory circuits that mediate our sense of touch and sensations from the gastrointestinal system. We are also interested in the dysfunction of these circuits, and how this applies to disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, so that we may identify novel therapeutic approaches.

Address: 

Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School

185 Cambridge Street, Room 6.808

Boston, MA 02116

Control of spine maturation and pruning through proBDNF synthesized and released in dendrites.
Authors: Authors: Orefice LL, Shih CC, Xu H, Waterhouse EG, Xu B.
Mol Cell Neurosci
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Distinct roles for somatically and dendritically synthesized brain-derived neurotrophic factor in morphogenesis of dendritic spines.
Authors: Authors: Orefice LL, Waterhouse EG, Partridge JG, Lalchandani RR, Vicini S, Xu B.
J Neurosci
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BDNF promotes differentiation and maturation of adult-born neurons through GABAergic transmission.
Authors: Authors: Waterhouse EG, An JJ, Orefice LL, Baydyuk M, Liao GY, Zheng K, Lu B, Xu B.
J Neurosci
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Paternal care paradoxically increases offspring seizure susceptibility in the El mouse model of epilepsy.
Authors: Authors: Orefice LL, Heinrichs SC.
Epilepsy Behav
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Neural, endocrine and electroencephalographic hyperreactivity to human contact: a diathesis-stress model of seizure susceptibility in El mice.
Authors: Authors: Forcelli PA, Orefice LL, Heinrichs SC.
Brain Res
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