Nicola Allen, PhD

Associate Professor

Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory

Salk Institute for Biological Studies - Publications

all Publications


Salas, I.H., Paumier, A., Tao, T., Derevyanko, A., Switzler, C., Burgado, J., Movsesian, M., Metanat, S., Dawoodtabar, T., Asbell, Q., Fassihi, A., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte transcriptomic analysis identifies glypican 5 downregulation as a contributor to synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease models. (2024) bioRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.30.621182

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Deng, J., Labarta-Bajo, L., Brandebura, A.N., Kahn, S.B., Pinto, A.F.M., Diedrich, J.K., Allen, N.J. Suppression of astrocyte BMP signaling improves fragile X syndrome molecular signatures and functional deficits. (2024) bioRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599752

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Sancho, L., Boisvert, M.M., Dawoodtabar, T., Burgado, J., Wang, E., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte CCN1 stabilizes neural circuits in the adult brain. (2024) bioRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.14.585077

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Chung, W.S., Baldwin, K.T., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte Regulation of Synapse Formation, Maturation, and Elimination. (2024) Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041352

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Labarta-Bajo, L., Deng, J., Contreras, M., Allen, N.J. Protocol for the purification and transcriptomic analysis of mouse astrocytes using GFAT. (2023) STAR Protoc. 4(4):102599. DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102599

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Brandebura, A.N., Asbell, Q.N., Micael, M.K.B., Allen, N.J. Dysregulation of astrocyte-secreted pleiotrophin contributes to neuronal structural and functional phenotypes in Down Syndrome. (2023) bioRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.26.559633

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Tan, D., Konduri, S., Erikci Ertunc, M., Zhang, P., Wang, J., Chang, T., Pinto, A.F.M., Rocha, A., Donaldson, C.J., Vaughan, J.M., Ludwig, R.G., Willey, E., Iyer, M., Gray, P.C., Maher, P., Allen, N.J., Zuchero, J.B., Dillin, A., Mori, M.A., Kohama, S.G., Siegel, D., Saghatelian, A. A class of anti-inflammatory lipids decrease with aging in the central nervous system. (2022) Nature Chemical Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01165-6

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Brandebura, A.N., Paumier, A., Onur, T.S., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte contribution to dysfunction, risk and progression in neurodegenerative disorders. (2022) Nature Reviews Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00641-1

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Caldwell, A.L.M., Sancho, L., Deng, J., Bosworth, A., Miglietta, A., Diedrich, J.K., Shokhirev, M.N., Allen, N.J. Aberrant astrocyte protein secretion contributes to altered neuronal development in multiple models of neurodevelopmental disorders. (2022) Nature Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01150-1

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Blanco-Suarez, E., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte-secreted chordin-like 1 regulates spine density after ischemic injury. (2022) Scientific Reports. 12(1):4176. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08031-4

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Lyon, K.A., Allen, N.J. From Synapses to Circuits, Astrocytes Regulate Behavior. (2022) Front Neural Circuits. 15:786293. DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.786293

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Farhy-Tselnicker, I., Boisvert, M.M., Liu, H., Dowling, C., Erikson, G.A., Blanco-Suarez, E., Farhy, C., Shokhirev, M.N., Ecker, J.R., Allen, N.J. Activity-dependent modulation of synapse-regulating genes in astrocytes. (2021) Elife. 10. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.70514

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Escartin, C., Galea, E., Lakatos, A., O'Callaghan, J.P., Petzold, G.C., Serrano-Pozo, A., Steinhäuser, C., Volterra, A., Carmignoto, G., Agarwal, A., Allen, N.J., Araque, A., Barbeito, L., Barzilai, A., Bergles, D.E., Bonvento, G., Butt, A.M., Chen, W.T., Cohen-Salmon, M., Cunningham, C., Deneen, B., De Strooper, B., Díaz-Castro, B., Farina, C., Freeman, M., Gallo, V., Goldman, J.E., Goldman, S.A., Götz, M., Gutiérrez, A., Haydon, P.G., Heiland, D.H., Hol, E.M., Holt, M.G., Iino, M., Kastanenka, K.V., Kettenmann, H., Khakh, B.S., Koizumi, S., Lee, C.J., Liddelow, S.A., MacVicar, B.A., Magistretti, P., Messing, A., Mishra, A., Molofsky, A.V., Murai, K.K., Norris, C.M., Okada, S., Oliet, S.H.R., Oliveira, J.F., Panatier, A., Parpura, V., Pekna, M., Pekny, M., Pellerin, L., Perea, G., Pérez-Nievas, B.G., Pfrieger, F.W., Poskanzer, K.E., Quintana, F.J., Ransohoff, R.M., Riquelme-Perez, M., Robel, S., Rose, C.R., Rothstein, J.D., Rouach, N., Rowitch, D.H., Semyanov, A., Sirko, S., Sontheimer, H., Swanson, R.A., Vitorica, J., Wanner, I.B., Wood, L.B., Wu, J., Zheng, B., Zimmer, E.R., Zorec, R., Sofroniew, M.V., Verkhratsky, A. Reactive astrocyte nomenclature, definitions, and future directions. (2021) Nature Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00783-4

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Sancho, L., Contreras, M., Allen, N.J. Glia as sculptors of synaptic plasticity. (2020) Neurosci Res. DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.11.005

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Salas, I.H., Burgado, J., Allen, N.J. Glia: victims or villains of the aging brain? (2020) Neurobiology of Disease.:105008 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105008

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Allen, N.J. Brain tumours manipulate neighbouring synapses. (2020) Nature. 578(7793):46-47. DOI: 10.1038/d41586-020-00137-x


Allen, N.J. Star Power: Astrocytes Regulate Behavior. (2019) Cell. 177(5):1091-1093. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.042

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Amor, D.J., Stephenson, S.E.M., Mustapha, M., Mensah, M.A., Ockeloen, C.W., Lee, W.S., Tankard, R.M., Phelan, D.G., Shinawi, M., de Brouwer, A.P.M., Pfundt, R., Dowling, C., Toler, T.L., Sutton, V.R., Agolini, E., Rinelli, M., Capolino, R., Martinelli, D., Zampino, G., Dumić, M., Reardon, W., Shaw-Smith, C., Leventer, R.J., Delatycki, M.B., Kleefstra, T., Mundlos, S., Mortier, G., Bahlo, M., Allen, N.J., Lockhart, P.J. Pathogenic Variants in GPC4 Cause Keipert Syndrome. (2019) American Journal of Human Genetics. 104(5):914-924. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.02.026

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Dowling, C., Allen, N.J. Mice Lacking Glypican 4 Display Juvenile Hyperactivity and Adult Social Interaction Deficits. (2018) Brain Plasticity. 4(2):197-209. DOI: 10.3233/BPL-180079

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Allen, N.J., Lyons, D.A. Glia as architects of central nervous system formation and function. (2018) Science. 362(6411):181-185. DOI: 10.1126/science.aat0473

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Blanco-Suarez, E., Liu, T.F., Kopelevich, A., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte-Secreted Chordin-like 1 Drives Synapse Maturation and Limits Plasticity by Increasing Synaptic GluA2 AMPA Receptors. (2018) Neuron. 100(5):1116-1132. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.043

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Farhy-Tselnicker, I., Allen, N.J. Astrocytes, neurons, synapses: a tripartite view on cortical circuit development. (2018) Neural Development. 13(1):7. DOI: 10.1186/s13064-018-0104-y

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Allen, N.J., Daneman, R. In Memoriam: Ben Barres. (2018) Journal of Cell Biology. 217(2):435-438. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201801019

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Boisvert, M.M., Erikson, G.A., Shokhirev, M.N., Allen, N.J. The Aging Astrocyte Transcriptome from Multiple Regions of the Mouse Brain. (2018) Cell Reports. 22(1):269-285. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.039

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Zuidema, J.M., Kumeria, T., Kim, D., Kang, J., Wang, J., Hollett, G., Zhang, X., Roberts, D.S., Chan, N., Dowling, C., Blanco-Suarez, E., Allen, N.J., Tuszynski, M.H., Sailor, M.J. Oriented Nanofibrous Polymer Scaffolds Containing Protein-Loaded Porous Silicon Generated by Spray Nebulization. (2018) Advanced Materials. 20(12). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201706785

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Allen, N.J., Eroglu, C. Cell Biology of Astrocyte-Synapse Interactions. (2017) Neuron. 96(3):697-708. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.056

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Farhy-Tselnicker, I., van Casteren, A.C.M., Lee, A., Chang, V.T., Aricescu, A.R., Allen, N.J. Astrocyte-Secreted Glypican 4 Regulates Release of Neuronal Pentraxin 1 from Axons to Induce Functional Synapse Formation. (2017) Neuron. 96(2):428-445.e13. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.053

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Bosworth, A.P., Allen, N.J. The diverse actions of astrocytes during synaptic development. (2017) Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 47:38-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.08.017

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Allen, N.J. Making Human Stars: A New Method to Generate Human Astrocytes. (2017) Neuron. 95(4):725-727. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.08.006

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Dwyer, C.A., Scudder, S.L., Lin, Y., Dozier, L.E., Phan, D., Allen, N.J., Patrick, G.N., Esko, J.D. Neurodevelopmental Changes in Excitatory Synaptic Structure and Function in the Cerebral Cortex of Sanfilippo Syndrome IIIA Mice. (2017) Scientific Reports. 7:46576. DOI: 10.1038/srep46576

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Blanco-Suárez, E., Caldwell, A.L., Allen, N.J. Role of astrocyte-synapse interactions in CNS disorders. (2017) Journal of Physiology. 595(6):1903-1916. DOI: 10.1113/JP270988

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Chung, W.S., Allen, N.J., Eroglu, C. Astrocytes Control Synapse Formation, Function, and Elimination. (2015) Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 7(9):a020370. DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a020370

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Farhy Tselnicker, I., Boisvert, M.M., Allen, N.J. The role of neuronal versus astrocyte-derived heparan sulfate proteoglycans in brain development and injury. (2014) Biochemical Society Transactions. 42(5):1263-9. DOI: 10.1042/BST20140166

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Allen, N.J. Synaptic plasticity: Astrocytes wrap it up. (2014) Current Biology. 24(15):R697-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.06.030

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Allen, N.J. Astrocyte regulation of synaptic behavior. (2014) Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology. 30:439-63. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100913-013053

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Allen, N.J. Role of glia in developmental synapse formation. (2013) Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 23(6):1027-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.06.004

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Allen, N.J., Bennett, M.L., Foo, L.C., Wang, G.X., Chakraborty, C., Smith, S.J., Barres, B.A. Astrocyte glypicans 4 and 6 promote formation of excitatory synapses via GluA1 AMPA receptors. (2012) Nature. 486(7403):410-4. DOI: 10.1038/nature11059

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Foo, L.C., Allen, N.J., Bushong, E.A., Ventura, P.B., Chung, W.S., Zhou, L., Cahoy, J.D., Daneman, R., Zong, H., Ellisman, M.H., Barres, B.A. Development of a method for the purification and culture of rodent astrocytes. (2011) Neuron. 71(5):799-811. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.07.022

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Kucukdereli, H., Allen, N.J., Lee, A.T., Feng, A., Ozlu, M.I., Conatser, L.M., Chakraborty, C., Workman, G., Weaver, M., Sage, E.H., Barres, B.A., Eroglu, C. Control of excitatory CNS synaptogenesis by astrocyte-secreted proteins Hevin and SPARC. (2011) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 108(32):E440-9. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1104977108

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Eroglu, C., Allen, N.J., Susman, M.W., O'Rourke, N.A., Park, C.Y., Ozkan, E., Chakraborty, C., Mulinyawe, S.B., Annis, D.S., Huberman, A.D., Green, E.M., Lawler, J., Dolmetsch, R., Garcia, K.C., Smith, S.J., Luo, Z.D., Rosenthal, A., Mosher, D.F., Barres, B.A. Gabapentin receptor alpha2delta-1 is a neuronal thrombospondin receptor responsible for excitatory CNS synaptogenesis. (2009) Cell. 139(2):380-92. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.09.025

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Allen, N.J., Barres, B.A. Neuroscience: Glia - more than just brain glue. (2009) Nature. 457(7230):675-7. DOI: 10.1038/457675a


De Simoni, A., Allen, N.J., Attwell, D. Charge compensation for NADPH oxidase activity in microglia in rat brain slices does not involve a proton current. (2008) European Journal of Neuroscience. 28(6):1146-56. DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06417.x

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Stevens, B., Allen, N.J., Vazquez, L.E., Howell, G.R., Christopherson, K.S., Nouri, N., Micheva, K.D., Mehalow, A.K., Huberman, A.D., Stafford, B., Sher, A., Litke, A.M., Lambris, J.D., Smith, S.J., John, S.W., Barres, B.A. The classical complement cascade mediates CNS synapse elimination. (2007) Cell. 131(6):1164-78. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2007.10.036

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Allen, N.J., Barres, B.A. Signaling between glia and neurons: focus on synaptic plasticity. (2005) Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 15(5):542-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2005.08.006

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Allen, N.J., Káradóttir, R., Attwell, D. A preferential role for glycolysis in preventing the anoxic depolarization of rat hippocampal area CA1 pyramidal cells. (2005) Journal of Neuroscience. 25(4):848-59. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4157-04.2005

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Allen, N.J., Attwell, D. The effect of simulated ischaemia on spontaneous GABA release in area CA1 of the juvenile rat hippocampus. (2004) Journal of Physiology. 561(Pt 2):485-98. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2004.070490

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Allen, N.J., Káradóttir, R., Attwell, D. Reversal or reduction of glutamate and GABA transport in CNS pathology and therapy. (2004) Pflugers Arch. 449(2):132-42. DOI: 10.1007/s00424-004-1318-x

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Allen, N.J., Rossi, D.J., Attwell, D. Sequential release of GABA by exocytosis and reversed uptake leads to neuronal swelling in simulated ischemia of hippocampal slices. (2004) Journal of Neuroscience. 24(15):3837-49. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5539-03.2004

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Allen, N.J., Attwell, D. Modulation of ASIC channels in rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons by ischaemia-related signals. (2002) Journal of Physiology. 543(Pt 2):521-9. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2002.020297

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Education

BSc, Anatomical Sciences, University of Manchester, England
PhD, Neuroscience, University College London
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University


Affiliations


Awards & Honors

  • Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Career Accelerator Award, 2018
  • Coins For Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART) Award, 2018
  • World Economic Forum Young Scientist, 2017
  • Dana Foundation Neuroimaging Award, 2016
  • Pew Biomedical Scholar Award, 2015
  • Whitehall Foundation Award, 2014
  • Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging Award, 2013
  • Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Fellowship
  • European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Fellowship