Amy Ramsey is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of CureGRIN and the Consortium for Outcome Measures and Biomarkers for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (COMBINEDBrain).
Her laboratory studies the physiological consequences of NMDA receptor deficiency using genetic mouse models and is interested in the role of NMDA receptors not only in neurons, but also in other cells of the brain, such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and endothelial cells.
The Ramsey laboratory has a long-standing interest in the way that NMDA receptors contribute to the symptoms of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. She is currently focusing her efforts on GRIN disorder, a rare neurodevelopmental condition caused by de novo mutations in the GRIN genes that encode NMDA receptors. Her laboratory is working to help patients by developing genetically-modified mice that have disease-causing variants in Grin1 or Grin2b. These mice are used to test dietary regimens, drugs, and adenoviral gene therapies for their ability to improve specific symptoms. The Ramsey lab uses a combination of biochemical and behavioral approaches to understand the many roles of NMDA receptors and to find treatments for debilitating brain disorders.
