My long-term goal is to study the properties and functional role of synaptic plasticity in the mammalian brain. While most of our knowledge on activity-dependent changes in synaptic efficacy derives from studies at excitatory synapses, significantly less is known about these changes at inhibitory synapses. Because the level of neuronal excitability is critically dependent on the level of inhibition set by GABAergic interneurons, synaptic plasticity of inhibitory synapses should have important consequences on the overall excitability of neural circuits and may be relevant to pathological conditions such as epilepsy. In my laboratory, we are currently investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the induction and expression of long-term plasticity at inhibitory synapses by using a combination of electrophysiological, pharmacological and genetic approaches. By comparing the mechanisms underlying plasticity at excitatory and inhibitory synapses, we ultimately expect to elucidate the wide diversity of mechanisms by which the brain stores information.