(CIT): The main focus of research in Dr. Garner's laboratory is to understand the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms that guide the formation, maintenance and elimination of excitatory synapses in the vertebrate CNS. To accomplish these goals, they use molecular and genetic approaches to identify key structural and regulatory proteins of glutamatergic synapses. In recent years, they have used these tools to address basic questions concerning nascent synapse formation. NIH Neuroscience Seminar Series.