Kira Poskanzer, PhD, is a neurobiologist studying astrocyte-neuron communication at the cellular and circuit levels. Her research employs optical and electrophysiological methods to ask which neural circuit signals activate astrocytes, and in turn, how astrocytes regulate large populations of neurons into specific oscillatory patterns. Her lab’s research focuses on astrocytic control of cortical circuits relevant for sleep and attention. In addition, to expand the toolkit for astrocyte physiologists, she has worked to develop computational and optochemical technologies specifically for astrocyte research.