Suzanne Paradis, Ph.D., Brandeis University, will investigate the potential of a protein her lab discovered, Sem4D, to restore the balance of excitation and inhibition in the brain. Neurons in the brain connect with one anvia two kinds of synapses - excitatory synapses, which promote information propagation, and inhibitory synapses, which prevent it. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory synapses is thought to be disrupted in the brains of people with autism. Sema4D causes new inhibitory synapses to form very rapidly, suggesting it may be a useful therapeutic.