Faculty
Read about the research taking place in the laboratories headed by the various mentors. We are still actively recruiting mentors, so if you read about and are excited by research taking place a laboratory that is not represented here, reach out to that faculty member to express your interest.
Assistant Professor
The Auerbach lab takes a multi-system and multi-scale approach to advance our understanding of the prevalence and mechanisms for electrical disturbances in the brain and heart. For example, we perform patient database analyses to examine the co-prevalence and risk of seizures and arrhythmias. Then using cellular and animal models of the disease, we perform molecular/biochemical and electrophysiological approaches to understand the underlying mechanisms for these neuro-cardiac pathologies, and the complex cascade of multi-system events that lead to sudden death. Ultimately, these results are validated using patient databases, and thus complete the full bedside-to-bench-to
Related specialties: Cardiology, Neurology-Epilepsy, Pharmacology Electrophysiology
Related Diseases: Arrhythmias, Seizures, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy
Neuroscience & Physiology
The Boschen lab investigates cellular mechanisms of prenatal alcohol pathogenesis using an in vivo model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). In particular, we are interested in how alcohol exposure during early gestation affects cell cycle kinetics, cell death vs. cell proliferation, DNA damage repair, and epigenetic modifications that impact gene transcription. We also study the long-term effects of alcohol on neuroanatomy and behavior, focusing on correlating behavioral impairments with changes to specific cell populations and signaling pathways.
Related Specialties: Addiction, Pediatrics, Embryology
Related Diseases: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Neuroscience & Physiology
The Gamage Laboratory is interested in G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling as it relates to the neuropharmacology of addiction. We primarily study the cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor, through which the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, produces its psychotropic effects. CB1 is highly expressed throughout the brain, including regions important for reward and emotional processing, two key systems involved in addiction. Our laboratory uses in vitro and in vivo techniques to study how novel small molecules can interact with these receptors to modulate endogenous cannabinoid signaling and promote signaling bias in order to develop pathway-focused therapeutics with minimal side effects.
Associate Professor
The Howell lab studies how dysfunction in the Reelin-Dab1 signaling pathway influences neuronal migration disorders, autism and Alzheimer's disease. In particular, we are interested in the crosstalk between the Reelin-Dab1 pathway and other molecular pathways linked to these conditions. We use mouse and cell culture models, including patient-induced pluripotent stem cells, to study the effects of signaling aberrations in these diseases.
Assistant
The Hu laboratory studies mechanisms of retinal degeneration in the blinding disease retinitis pigmentosa and of brain malformations in syndromic congenital muscular dystrophies associated with development delays and ocular abnormalities. We use the zebrafish and mouse to model these human disorders. Currently, we are developing experimental gene therapies using various animal models.
Assistant Professor
Related Specialties: Pathology, computational pathology, artificial intelligence, oncology, urology, translational medicine
Related Diseases: prostate cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer
Associate Professor
Mechanism of RNA polymerase I transcription and its dysregulation in cancer and craniofacial dysmorphologies.
Associate Professor
Research in the Krendel lab is focused on the mechanisms driving cell motility and cell shape changes during development and immune response and in diseases such as cancer and genetic kidney disorders. We are particularly interested in the roles of cytoskeletal proteins in cell motility and signaling, including the functions of myosin motor proteins. We use microscopy and image analysis as well as mouse models of disease and protein analysis methods in our research.
Related Specialties: Nephrology, oncology, medical genetics
Related Disease: Nephrotic syndrome, cancer, infectious diseases
Neuroscience & Physiology
The Lin lab focuses on understanding how physiological needs govern behavioral responses. Specifically, we are interested in the underlying molecular and neural basis for nutrient-specific feeding regulation through gut-brain axis communication. We take advantage of Drosophila's molecular/genetic toolkit, its tractable nervous system, EM-based connectome, ex-vivo gut in-vivo brain functional imaging, and a range of well-established feeding behavioral assays to uncover the neural circuitry mechanisms that control nutrient-specific feeding. The mechanistic insights gained from our research will shed light on how specific nutrient satiety signals integrate in the brain to regulate feeding behavior.
Related Specialties: Gastroenterology, Pediatrics, nutrition, and psychiatry
Related Diseases: Eating disorders, Obesity, Anorexia
Associate Professor
The Matthews lab studies the role of extracellular microenvironment in normal brain development and maturation, and its contribution to neural disorders and injury. Our lab is particularly interested in a substructure within the extracellular matrix called the perineuronal net. This structure is a key regulator of developmental plasticity and has been implicated in an array of neuropsychological and neurological disorders. The lab utilizes a combination of biochemical, neuroanatomical, and molecular approaches to understand the function of perineuronal nets and the neural extracellular matrix in both the normal and damaged brain.
Professor
The Middleton lab is focused on determining the biological bases of psychiatric and neurological disorders. We use high-throughput genetic, epigenetic, and functional genomic techniques with human subjects or animal and cellular models to identify molecular mechanisms linked to these disorders. We are particularly interested in autism, schizophrenia, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, alcohol abuse, and traumatic brain injury.
Associate Professor
The Olson laboratory studies neurodevelopmental disorders that disrupt dendritic growth and neuronal differentiation. The dendrite is a major component of the wiring of the brain, and disruptions of dendritic development are associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), autism and epilepsy. We use multiphoton microscopy and mouse disease models to examine how genetic mutations, early neural activity and fetal ethanol exposure alter dendritic growth and brain structure.
Professor
The Pignoni lab focuses on the roles of transcription factors and signaling molecules in neurogenesis and eye development. We primarily use the Drosophila melanogaster as an in vivo model, as it provides us with an incomparable platform for genetic analyses. We also work in cell culture and in yeast to dissect protein function at a molecular level. Lastly, we rely on transcriptomics to understand gene networks. Genes we study are cause of birth defects in humans. Dr. Pignoni also serves as the Chair of Neuroscience & Physiology, and is Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program
Related Specialties: Ophthalmology, ENT, Pediatrics
Related Diseases: Congenital diseases, coloboma, Microphthalmia, hearing loss, Branchio-oto-renal (BOR) syndrome
Associate Professor
The Viapiano laboratory studies the mechanisms by which the neural microenvironment contributes to brain cancer initiation and growth. In particular, we focus on extracellular matrix components that trigger pro-tumoral effects and are produced by cancer cells. We generate novel reagents to target these molecules in brain cancer and utilize patient-derived and organ-on-chip tumor models; mouse models of cancer; molecular and cellular techniques; and high-end genomic analyses of brain cancer datasets and biopsy samples to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Related Specialties: Neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, neurology, oncology
Related Diseases: Tumors of the Central Nervous System
Assistant Professor
The Viczian lab is interested in human eye disease and how it originates during embryonic development. This process is disrupted in patients with anophthalmia (no eye) and microphthalmia (small eye), where the underlying cause in many cases is unknown. We identified T-box transcription factor, Tbx3, as an initiator of eye formation in frog. Our lab has extended these studies to the mouse, where we will determine which stages of mammalian retinal development require Tbx3. When misregulated, Tbx3 causes cancer. In other areas of the body, Tbx3 is required for normal lung, heart, limb and mammary gland formation. How Tbx3 is regulated in the eye and its underlying function is unknown. Insight into how this transcription factor functions may reveal links to causes of developmental eye disease.
Professor
The MiNDS lab uses quantitative molecular biology and neuroanatomical techniques in the postmortem human brain and in animal models to understand the biological basis of schizophrenia. In order to understand normal human development and aging, we chart molecular and cellular brain changes across the human life span, in humans from two months in age to 100 years. Using cellular neurobiology, histology, anatomical molecular mapping, transcriptomics, and quantitative molecular assays of proteins, metabolites and enzyme activity to analyze the human cortex and basal ganglia, we seek to uncover the underlying causes of schizophrenia and other disorders.
Assistant Professor
The Woodford lab is interested in the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of urologic cancers. Metabolic dysregulation and insensitivity to apoptosis are two hallmarks of cancer that are regulated by mitochondria, and we use mitochondrial chaperones as a vehicle to understand the regulation of mitochondrial biology. We primarily utilize protein biochemistry and biophysics coupled to human tissue culture studyprovide both an isolated and contextualized understanding of protein function. We are also interested in developing mitochondrially-targeted inhibitors with activity in urologic cancers.
Related Specialties: Urology, oncology
Related Diseases: Kidney cancer, prostate cancer, neurodegenerative disease, metabolic disorders
Assistant Professor
The Zhu lab is focused on characterizing processes of brain development using the Drosophila model. In type II neuroblast lineages, intermediate neural progenitors greatly expand production of neurons. By elucidating mechanisms underlying the proliferation and differentiation of the intermediate neural progenitor cells, we hope to gain mechanistic insights into the generation of brain complexity and brain tumor formation. In the mushroom body of the adult Drosophila brain, the mushroom body output neurons connect through their dendrites to specific axonal segments of mushroom body neurons. We use this model to clarify cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying subcellular-specific targeting of dendrites. Such subcellular specificity of synaptic connections has profound impact on neuronal activity and function.