Cruz-Martín Lab

 

Alberto Cruz-Martin, PhD

Primary Appointment of Alberto Cruz-Martín, PhD
Visiting Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

 

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Neuroscience - David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

B.S. in Biology - Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, PR

RESEARCH

The Cruz-Martín lab focuses on understanding how neuroimmune interactions regulate brain function in both healthy and diseased states, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. The lab employs cutting-edge techniques, including in vivo calcium imaging with miniscopes, super-resolution microscopy (STED and expansion microscopy), spatial transcriptomics, and genetic mouse models, to study synaptic plasticity, connectivity, and behavior. By integrating these approaches with advanced deep learning algorithms and behavioral analysis pipelines like REVEALS, the lab explores the dynamic interplay between the immune system and neural circuits. This interdisciplinary strategy provides insights into the mechanisms underlying normal brain development and function, as well as the pathological processes involved in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, offering new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

LAB WEBSITE

https://www.cmneurolab.org

PUBLICATIONS

Google Scholars:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ymf5slIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

My Bibliography:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1-u408cWsrfk-/bibliography/public/

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (Updated November 21, 2024)

1. Fournier LA, Phadke RA, Salgado M, Brack A, Nocon JC, Bolshakova S, Grant JR, Padró Luna NM, Sen K, Cruz-Martín A. Overexpression of the schizophrenia risk gene C4 in PV cells drives sex-dependent behavioral deficits and circuit dysfunction. iScience. 2024 Aug 30;27(9):110800. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110800. PMID: 39310747. Uploaded to bioRxiv, 2023.
   
2. Phadke RA, Brack A, Fournier LA, Kruzich E, Sha M, Picard I, Johnson C, Stroumbakis D, Salgado M, Yeung C, Escude Velasco B, Liu YY, Cruz-Martín A. The schizophrenia risk gene C4 induces pathological synaptic loss by impairing AMPAR trafficking. Molecular Psychiatry. 2024 Sep 3. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02701-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39227431. (Cover). See blog: https://tinyurl.com/Blog-Intracellular-Complement. Uploaded to bioRxiv,  2023. 
3. Johnson C, Kretsge LN, Yen WW, Sriram B, O'Connor A, Liu RS, Jimenez JC, Phadke RA, Wingfield KK, Yeung C, Jinadasa TJ, Nguyen TPH, Cho ES, Fuchs E, Spevack ED, Velasco BE, Hausmann FS, Fournier LA, Brack A, Melzer S, Cruz-Martín A. Highly unstable heterogeneous representations in VIP interneurons of the anterior cingulate cortex. Molecular Psychiatry. 2022 May;27(5):2602-2618. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01485-y. Epub 2022 Mar 4. PMID: 35246635. Uploaded to bioRxiv,  2020. 
4. Comer AL, Jinadasa T, Sriram B, Phadke RA, Kretsge LN, Nguyen TPH, Antognetti G, Gilbert JP, Lee J, Newmark ER, Hausmann FS, Rosenthal S, Liu Kot K, Liu Y, Yen WW, Dejanovic B, Cruz-Martín A. Increased expression of schizophrenia-associated gene C4 leads to hypoconnectivity of prefrontal cortex and reduced social interaction. PLoS Biology. 2020 Jan 14;18(1):e3000604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000604. PMID: 31935214; PMCID: PMC6959572. (Cover). Uploaded to bioRxiv, 2019.
   
5. Comer AL, Carrier M, Tremblay MÈ, Cruz-Martín A. The Inflamed Brain in Schizophrenia: The Convergence of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors That Lead to Uncontrolled Neuroinflammation. Front Cell Neurosci. 2020 Aug 27;14:274. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00274. PMID: 33061891; PMCID: PMC7518314.

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Dr. Cruz-Martin Office

Department of Anesthesiology
University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus
Research Complex 2 (RC2)
12700 E 19th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045
7th floor P15-7122
Mail Stop B112
Office: (303) 724-2932

Cruz-Martin Lab

Department of Anesthesiology
University of Colorado
Anschutz Medical Campus
Research Complex 2 (RC2)
12700 E 19th Ave,
Aurora, CO 80045
7th floor P15-7490D-F
Mail Stop B112

PARTICIPATING FACULTY MEMBER

2024-Present                      Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome

2024-Present                      The Neuroscience Graduate Program

2024-Present                      The NeuroTechnology Center (NTC)