Elizabeth C. Davenport

I combine molecular/cellular, live imaging and electrophysiological approaches to understand presynaptic function and how it is altered in neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy.

Dr Elizabeth C. Davenport

Postdoctoral Research Fellow 

Hugh Robson Building

15 George Square

Edinburgh, EH8 9XD

Contact details

 Work: +44 (0)131 651 1506

 Email: e.davenport@ed.ac.uk

 Web: Cousin Research Group

 

Personal profile

  • 2017 – present: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the lab of Mike Cousin, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh.
  • 2016 – 2017: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the labs of Peter Kind and Mike Cousin, Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh.
  • 2010 – 2016: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience PhD in the lab of Josef Kittler, MRC 4 year PhD Studentship (LMCB), University College London.
  • 2005 - 2009: BSc (Hons) Molecular Cell Biology with a year in Europe, University of York.
  • Member of the Physiological Society.

Research

Correct presynaptic function, including the fusion and retrieval of synaptic vesicles, is vital to maintain neuronal transmission, precise network activity and the balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain.

My current research focusses on investigating the essential molecules and signalling pathways required for regulating activity dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE), a specialised mode of synaptic vesicle retrieval, and how disruptions in this mechanism might be implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. Furthermore, I am specifically investigating presynaptic dysfunction in a model of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) to try and understand the synaptic mechanisms that bring about early onset seizures in CDD patients.

My passion is to combine pre and postsynaptic research to better understand excitatory and inhibitory synaptic function in both health and disease.

Funding

Recent publications

Davenport EC, Pendolino V, Kontou G, McGee TP, Sheehan DF, López-Doménech G, Farrant M, Kittler JT. An Essential Role for the Tetraspanin LHFPL4 in the Cell-Type-Specific Targeting and Clustering of Synaptic GABAA Receptors. Cell Rep. 2017 Oct 3;21(1):70-83.

Dunning CJ, Black HL, Andrews KL, Davenport EC, Conboy M, Chawla S, Dowle AA, Ashford D, Thomas JR, Evans GJ. Multisite tyrosine phosphorylation of the N-terminus of Mint1/X11α by Src kinase regulates the trafficking of amyloid precursor protein. J Neurochem. 2016 May;137(4):518-27.

Smith KR, Davenport EC, Wei J, Li X, Pathania M, Vaccaro V, Yan Z, Kittler JT. GIT1 and βPIX are essential for GABA(A) receptor synaptic stability and inhibitory neurotransmission. Cell Rep. 2014 Oct 9;9(1):298-310.

Pathania M*, Davenport EC*, Muir J, Sheehan DF, López-Doménech G, Kittler JT. The autism and schizophrenia associated gene CYFIP1 is critical for the maintenance of dendritic complexity and the stabilization of mature spines. Transl Psychiatry. 2014 Mar 25;4:e374.