Faculty

Details: Paul de Koninck, PhD
Professor of Biochemistry

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Phone: (418) 663-5747 ext.4721
Fax: (418) 663-8756
Location: CRULRG
2601 Chemin de la Canardière
Office F - 5581
Québec - QC - G1J 2G3
Website: www.greenspine.ca

Paul de Koninck has produced seminal work on the understanding of the role of intracellular signalling enzymes in the decoding of synaptic mechanisms. He brings his expertise in enzyme biochemistry, real time resolution of dynamic molecular events in live neurons, studies of enzyme-receptor interaction and signal encoding and intracellular calcium oscillations.

His group investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms used by neurons to decode synaptic and electrical activities that propagate through neural circuits. Dr. DeKoninck is particularly interested in learning how these mechanisms contribute to synaptic remodeling and to the maintenance and modifications of brain circuit connectivity.

Paul de Koninck is a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awardee and a former MRC centennial and Human Frontiers Fellow.

Ongoing research

The laboratory is studying synaptic signaling and remodeling at excitatory synapses with
advanced optical approaches in cultured neurons to learn more about the rules that govern the
cellular and molecular bases of learning and memory
We use cellular imaging approaches to probe the spatial and temporal dynamics of
neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels and signaling proteins in and out of synapses during
neuronal development and plasticity
We develop optical approaches to measure rapid changes in membrane potentials with high
subcellular resolution
We combine molecular, biochemical and optical approaches to measure protein-protein
interactions at synapses during synaptic remodeling
We focus on the calcium signaling enzyme, CaM kinase II, as a decoder of calcium
oscillations in neurons to regulate neuronal development, synaptic transmission and plasticity