Raphael Ricci

I am a neuroscientist interested in how cellular and molecular mechanisms regulate brain development, neural circuits and brain function across the lifespan, and how disruption of these processes contributes to neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. My research focuses particularly on neural progenitor cells, oligodendrocyte biology, myelination and neuron–glia interactions, with broader interests in neurocognition, brain health and disease.

I completed my PhD at the University of Tasmania investigating ion channel signalling in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and its role in neural circuit function and myelination. I subsequently undertook postdoctoral research at The University of Queensland, including at the Queensland Brain Institute, where I investigated neural progenitor function, neuronal migration and cortical development in models of neurodevelopmental disorders, and at Mater Research–UQ, where I investigated oligodendrocyte dysfunction, myelination and cellular signalling in neurological and neuropsychiatric disease, including multiple sclerosis-like pathology.

Across these research programs, I have developed expertise in developmental neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, neural progenitor biology, neuron–glia interactions, myelination and neural circuit function, using experimental approaches spanning molecular and cellular biology, advanced microscopy, electrophysiology, animal models and behavioural neuroscience. My broader research interests are centred on understanding how changes in cellular signalling and interactions between neural cell types shape brain function in health and disease.

Alongside my research, I contribute to tertiary teaching and student supervision across neuroscience, psychology and biomedical sciences at The University of Queensland, with a particular interest in research-informed education and scientific communication.