Dr. Miranda’s research focuses on the localization, regulation and trafficking pathways of the neuronal glycine and dopamine transporters, as well as the organization in the brain of neurons expressing these transporters. Specifically, his laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of regulation of activity of glycine transporters and the efficacy of glycinergic neurotransmission in the brain. He has described the role of endocytosis and posttranslational modifications of the transporters for dopamine and glycine in multiple manuscripts. The glycine transporters are of particular interest given that they coordinate a variety of motor and sensory functions, and mutations result in impairment of motor or sensory control. Surprising, deletion of either GlyT1 or GlyT2 resulted in lethality after birth, highlighting the critical role of these transporters. For the characterization of these transporters, a variety of biochemical approaches and microscopy imaging techniques are used.The Miranda laboratory has been studying the cyto-architecture of glycinergic circuits in the mouse and rat CNS. Results derived from these studies suggest the presence of glycinergic circuits in the brain stem and forebrain. Recently, the laboratory has been focused in the characterization of a novel glycinergic circuit in the basal ganglia by injection of retrograde and anterograde fluorescent tracers and viruses expressing fluorescent proteins as reporters.