Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

This is a very rapidly developing field and is the subject of increasing interest due to the realization that kainate receptors play a central role in the regulation of  glutamatergic transmission in the brain and are implicated in synaptic plasticity.

  Does it describe a new discovery or new methodology that's useful to others?

It is a review paper.   It details the background and context of kainate receptor research and details the application of new (at the time) molecular techniques to the study.

  Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

Understanding the role of kainate receptors in communication between nerve cells will allow more refined and useful models to be developed for how the brain works as well as for how these processes can go wrong at a basic level.  In addition, elucidation of the proteins involved in these processes opens the possibility for finding new drug targets.

  How did you become involved in this research?

I have worked on the protein chemistry and molecular biology of glutamate receptors (of which kainate receptors are one type) for the last 20 years.