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Current Research

Eskin's research focuses on long term memory formation. Specifically, his lab focuses on the role of the circadian clock and glutamate in this process, using model organisms aplysia and rats primarily.

Aplysia californica

Role of Glutamate Transporters in Memory Formation

Eskin's lab has extensively studied the role of glutamate transporters in synaptic plasticity in aplysia. Specifically, his group has shown that glutamate uptake increases during long-term sensitization in Aplysia, long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus of rats, and morphine addiction and withdrawal in rats . Eskin's group believes that the mechanism for glutamate uptake is phylogenetically conserved for multiple types of synaptic plasticities. They currently study the mechanism by which this process takes place.

Role of Circadian Clocks in Memory Formation

Eskin and his lab have also been interested in the role of the circadian clock in glutamanergic synaptic plasticity. While it is known that the brain's circadian clock can control physiological outputs like sleep and wakefulness, metabolic rate, and body temperature, Eskin and his lab suggest another role for the biological clock as a regulator of memory formation . Eskin's lab has shown that aplysia's ability to form long term memory is dependent on the time of day of training. This is done via regulation of many factors such as neurotransmitter release, MAPK signaling, and immediate early gene expression. However, short term memory has not been shown to vary based on time of day. . The mechanism by which this occurs is not yet understood, but Eskin and his lab are studying the circadian characteristics of glutamate uptake in synaptic placticity to learn more about the mechanism by which memory formation can be controlled by a circadian clock. Furthermore, such information will be useful for chronobiology as a whole in helping explain how a biological clock regulates its outputs to produce rhythm.