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.: Taira, Tomi

NENS Committee Member

Tomi Taira, PhD
Group Leader Neuroscience Center and
Department of Biosciences
University of Helsinki
P.O. Box 65, Viikinkaari 1, Biocenter 3
FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: +358-9-19159855
Fax: +358-9-19159810
E-mail: tomi.taira@helsinki.fi
Homepage: http://www.helsinki.fi/neurosci/taira.htm

Curriculum Vitae

Education and previous positions

1995
Ph. D. in physiology, Univ. of Helsinki
1996
Docent in neurobiology, Univ. of Helsinki
1989
Visiting fellow, NIH/NIAAA,Bethesda, USA
1992
Visiting fellow, Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Birmingham
1997
Assistant professor in physiology, University of Helsinki
1997
Visiting fellow, INSERM, Paris
2001
Research fellow, MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol

Other activities

Coordinator, Master’s Program in Neuroscience, Univesity of Helsinki
Invited expert, TEMPUS Master’s Program in Neuroscience, University of St. Petersburg, Russia
Member of Brain Research Society of Finland
Grant application reviewer, Academy of Finland, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO, the Dutch research council), Medical Research Council (UK), Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, CNRS, France, Research Foundation of the University of Helsinki

Selected Publications

  • Segerstrale M, Juuri J, Lanore F, Piepponen P, Lauri SE, Mulle C and Taira T (2010). High firing-rate of neonatal hippocampal interneurons is due to attenuation of afterhyperpolarizing potassium currents by tonically active kainate receptors. J. Neurosci 30:6507-14.
  • Sallert M, Rantamaeki T, Vesikansa A, Anthoni H, Harju K, Yli-Kauhaluoma J, Taira T, Castren E and Lauri SE (2009). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor controls activity-dependent maturation of CA1 synapses by downregulating tonic activation of presynaptic kainate receptors. J. Neurosci. 29: 11294–303.
  • Hanse E, Taira T, Lauri SE and Groc L (2009). Glutamate synapse in developing brain: an integrative perspective beyond the silent state. Trends Neurosci. 32: 532-537.
  • Lauri SE, Vesikansa A, Segerstrale M, Collingridge G, Isaac J and Taira T (2006). Functional maturation of CA1 synapses involves activity-dependent loss of tonic kainate receptor-mediated inhibition of glutamate release. Neuron 50: 415-429.
  • Lauri SE, Segerstrale M, Vesikansa A, Maingret F, Mulle C, Collingridge G, Isaac J and Taira T (2005). Endogenous activation of kainate receptors inhibits glutamatergic transmission and modulates network activity in the developing hippocampus. J. Neurosci. 25: 4473-84.
  • Lauri SE, Laemsae K, Pavlov I, Riekki R, Johnston B, Molnar E, Rauvala H and Taira T (2003). Activity-blockade induces formation of functional synapses in the newborn rat hippocampus. Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 22: 107–117.
  • Palva M, Laemsae K, Lauri SE, Rauvala H, Kaila K and Taira T (2000). Fast network oscillations in the newborn rat hippocampus in vitro. J. Neurosci. 20: 1170-78.
  • Laemsae K, Palva M, Ruusuvuori E, Kaila K and Taira T (2000). Synaptic GABAA activation inhibits AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated bursting in the newborn (P0-P2) rat hippocampus. J. Neurophysiol. 83: 359-366.