Our team investigates how the brain’s extracellular matrix — the molecular scaffold that surrounds and supports brain cells — shapes glial cell function and, in turn, how glial cells remodel it. We study this bidirectional dialogue between the ECM and astrocytes, microglia, and myelinating cells in the context of aging, Parkinson’s disease, and autism spectrum disorder, with a particular interest in hyaluronan, the backbone of both the interstitial matrix and perineuronal nets. To do so, we combine in vivo, ex vivo, and 3D in vitro models with cutting-edge fluorescence microscopy, and develop dedicated in vivo imaging tools to visualize ECM dynamics in the living brain. We also explore ECM-targeted strategies to modify the course of brain disease via increased extracellular clearance or glial signaling.