Garrett Scarpa

I am fundamentally interested in how inhibitory neurons shape network activity through endocrine signaling, and how disruptions to these systems during development can cause long-term behavioral abnormalities. As an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I worked in the lab of Dr. Luke Remage-Healey characterizing the inhibitory interneuron subtypes responsible for local, rapid synthesis of 17 beta-estradiol in the songbird auditory cortex via the enzyme aromatase. After graduating in 2016, I continued my research with Dr. Remage-Healey, taking on the role of lab manager. During this time, I used a variety of methods – including patch clamp and calcium imaging – to observe the effects of estradiol on both single unit and network electrophysiological properties. I joined the Maguire lab in 2020, where I am currently studying the effects of early life stress on glucocorticoid signaling among inhibitory neurons responsible for regulating stress networks, valence processing, and affect.