My lab investigates the roles of oligodendrocyte-lineage cells in health and disease. We have provided evidence that oligodendrocytes and myelin are required for efficient learning and memory in the developing and adult brain, yet the mechanisms underlying these effects and their impact on neuronal circuits remain unresolved. Our current research focuses on how neuronal activity shapes myelination during learning and memory, and on alternative, myelin-independent functions of oligodendrocytes that may support neuronal plasticity.

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Key publications

• Swire et al., 2026. Intact learning and memory in mice incapable of de novo myelination. bioRxiv (preprint)
• Shimizu et al., 2023. Oligodendrocyte dynamics dictate cognitive performance outcomes of working memory training in mice. Nature Communications
• Swire et al., 2021. Oligodendrocyte HCN2 channels regulate myelin sheath length. Journal of Neuroscience
• Swire et al., 2019. Endothelin signalling mediates experience-dependent myelination in the CNS. eLife
• Bechler et al., 2018. Intrinsic and adaptive myelination—A sequential mechanism for smart wiring in the brain. Developmental Neurobiology