Psychiatry

Understanding emergent patterns of activity in cortical networks & their relationships to psychiatric disorders

Genetic Regulation of Forebrain Development

The embryonic neural tube differentiates into diverse structures depending upon their spatial coordinates within the embryo. The forebrain, which is at the rostral end of the neural tube, differentiates into the cerebral cortex, the basal ganglia and other components, each with distinct histologies and functions. Our laboratory is interested in studying the genes that regulate regional specification and differentiation of the mammalian forebrain particularly within the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia.

Looking beyond the neuron: neuroimmune communication, glia, and the extracellular space in brain development and function

Neural circuits for emotional behaviors

The primary goal of our research is to delineate the neuronal circuits that underlie emotional behavior so that we may understand how they may be disrupted in mood and anxiety disorders. For this, we use a combination of approaches in mouse models including population calcium imaging, optogenetics, behavior, neural circuit tracing and high-density electrophysiology, in order to control genetically identified brain networks in real time.

Biological Psychiatry