I am a biologist working in the area of neuroscience in I.M.Sechenov Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry. Now my main scientific interests are linked with neuronal pathological states, especially excitotoxicity. It is a term that describes the neuronal death caused by neurotoxic effects of glutamate, which is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. Glutamate is well known to be involved in cognitive functions like learning and memory, but its excessive accumulation in extracellular space can lead to neuronal damages and eventual cell death via necrosis and apoptosis. As a result excitotoxicity contributes to pathogenesis of numerous neurodegenerative diseases. The study in this area can possibly provide new directions in selective therapy of neurodegenerative states. The main methods in our laboratory are confocal microscopy and patch-clamp electrophysiology in primary neuronal cortical culture.