Aston University, UK
In a nutshell
My main interest is in how astrocytes, together with neurons are involved in generating brain activity, and how dysfunction leads to disease states. My lab uses single cell, network electrophysiological and dynamic fluorescence imaging methods.
Societal Affiliations
British Neuroscience Association (BNA) Society for Neuroscience (SFN)
Federation of European Neuroscience (FENS)
Alzheimer’s Society
Research Website
Google Scholar
ORCID: 0000-0002-1412-2688
SCOPUS ID: 6602612473
Twitter: @aston_Glia
NEU-CHiP
Co-ordinator
Professor in Pharmacology
Dr. Parri’s research group focuses on understanding the role of astrocyte-neuron interactions in brain function. Dr. Parri has 30 years experience using electrophysiological and optical approaches in neuronal preparations to investigate cellular function. He completed his PhD in neurophysiology at the University of Southampton on GABA and leak chloride ion channels in nematode muscle. Under an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellowship he worked on voltage gated calcium channel facilitation at UCSF San Francisco. Later at Cardiff University he worked on neuronal and astrocyte interactions in thalamocortical network activity. He started at Aston in 2005 and is now a Reader in Pharmacology. His research has been supported by the Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, BBSRC, Alzheimer’s Research Trust and EU Commission. He has been involved in many EU funded projects MesoBrain (EU-FET), EUGlliaPhd (ITN), Neuropa (EU-FET).
Selected Publications
- Development of two photon polymerised scaffolds for optical interrogation and neurite guidance of human iPSC derived cortical neuronal networks. Crowe, JA, El-Tamer A, Nagel D, Koroleva AV, Madrid-Wolff J, Olarte OE, Sokolovsky S, Estevez-Priego E, Ludl AA, Soriano J, Loza-Alvarez P, Chichkov BN, Hill EJ, Parri, HR., Rafailov, E., Lab on a Chip 2020. 20 (10), 1792-1806
- Neuromodulators and long-term synaptic plasticity in learning and memory: A steered glutamatergic perspective. Bazzari A.H., Parri H.R. 2019. Brain Sciences 9(11),300
- Use of a False Gliotransmitter reveals astrocyte-mediated neuronal synchronisation properties. Pirttimaki, T.M., Codadu, N., Saunders, G. Sims, R.E., Parri, H.R. Journal of Neuroscience. 2017 Oct 11;37(41):9859-9870. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2761-16.2017. Epub 2017 Sep 12
- Astrocytes modulate thalamic sensory processing via MGlu2 Receptor activation. Copeland, C. Nesbaum, E, Parri, H.R., Salt, T.E. Neuropharmacology. 2017 .. Jul 15;121:100-110. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.019. Epub 2017 Apr 14