Career history 2012-present: Research Career Track Lecturer. Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, UK. Academic qualifications 2005: PhD Neuroscience. Department of Physiology. University of Cambridge, UK. 2001: MPhil Biological Sciences. Department of Physiology. University of Cambridge, UK. 1999: BSc. Biology. Honours. Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico (UAEM), Mexico. Fellowship awards 2008-2012: Ion Channels and Disease Initiative (OXION) Training Fellowship. Wellcome Trust. University of Oxford, UK. 2004-2007: International Research Fellowship. Wellcome Trust, UK.

The Vargas-Caballero laboratory focuses on studying the synaptic mechanisms of memory and how these are affected in memory loss. Our main aim is to understand how memories become disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease. Although studies of Alzheimer's disease have greatly increased in the last few decades, there is currently still no effective therapy that can stop disease progression. Our current knowledge suggests that this disease initially impacts on synapse integrity in the brain: the mechanisms, however, are not well understood. We use electrophysiological experiments and behavioural and molecular analyses to link synaptic function and plasticity in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease.

Stochastic and deterministic dynamics of intrinsically irregular firing in cortical inhibitory interneurons - Mendonça, Philipe R.F., Vargas-Caballero, Mariana, Erdélyi, Ferenc, Szabó, Gábor, Paulsen, Ole and Robinson, Hugh P.C. Published:2016Publication:eLifeVolume:5, (e16475)Page Range:1-26doi:10.7554/eLife.16475PMID:27536875 The use of human neurons for novel drug discovery in dementia research - Vargas-Caballero, Mariana, Willaime-Morawek, Sandrine, Gomez-Nicola, Diego, Perry, V. Hugh, Bulters, Diedrik and Mudher, Amrit Published:2016Publication:Expert Opinion on Drug DiscoveryPage Range:1-35doi:10.1517/17460441.2016.1154528PMID:26878555 Pharmacological targeting of CSF1R inhibits microglial proliferation and prevents the progression of Alzheimer’s-like pathology - Olmos-Alonso, A., Schetters, S.T.T., Sri, S., Askew, K., Mancuso, R., Vargas-Caballero, M., Holscher, C., Perry, V.H. and Gomez-Nicola, D. Published:2016Publication:BrainPage Range:1-17doi:10.1093/brain/awv379PMID:26747862 Temporal dynamics of hippocampal neurogenesis in chronic neurodegeneration - Gómez-Nicola, Diego, Suzzi, Stefano, Vargas-Caballero, Mariana, Fransen, Nina L., Al-Malki, Hussain, Cebrian-silla, A., García-verdugo , Jm, Riecken, K., Fehse, B. and Perry, V. Hugh Published:2014Publication:BrainPage Range:1-17doi:10.1093/brain/awu155PMID: 24941947 Tau protein is required for amyloid ?-induced impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation - Shipton, Olivia A., Leitz, Julie R., Dworzak, Jenny, Acton, Christine E.J., Tunbridge, Elizabeth M., Denk, Franziska, Dawson, Hana N., Vitek, Michael P., Wade-Martins, Richard, Paulsen, Ole and Vargas-Caballero, Mariana Published:2011Publication:Journal of NeuroscienceVolume:31, (5)Page Range:1688-1692doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2610-10.2011