Browse wide-ranging research at the frontiers of neuroscience supported by Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute grants, awards, and training fellowships.
Projects
A novel sigma-1 receptor PET radioligand as a probe of ketamine’s rapid therapeutic action in disorders of human brain and behavior: Pilot study
The impact of early medial temporal lobe Tau in human cognitive aging
Ultrasonic neural control and neuroimaging in the awake, mobile, and behaving small rodent
We propose to design a lightweight, wearable system for integrated ultrasonic drug uncaging and fUS neuroimaging to noninvasively pharmacologically modulate a brain target and then image the resultant changes in neural activity without significant motion limitations.
Sensory processing in a pre-seizure state
Genetic tools to determine circuit-specific roles of myelination
These tools will enable us to dissect how myelin contributes to specific brain circuits and types of neurons, bringing us closer to a holistic understanding of how cells in the brain collaborate to build a functional nervous system.
Injectable photovoltaics for a wireless, gliosis-free neural stimulation interface
We believe our research has the potential of generating transformative results for both neuroscience research and neurological applications, also offering strategies to manipulate key intracellular pathways to prevent gliosis in therapeutic neural implants.
Investigating the role of a human-specific repeat element in neuropsychiatric disease risk and cerebellar function
Quantifying auditory-vocal affect in human social communication
This proposal brings together faculty with this diverse expertise to develop the first gold standard test of auditory-vocal affect. Once developed, validated, and normed, we will deploy this test in the clinical context of autism to quantify impairments and direct neurobiological investigation.
Rapid brain-wide optogenetic screening with a noninvasive, dynamically programmable in vivo light source
Elucidating the biophysical mechanisms of latrophilin activation in excitatory synapse formation
Mapping the Mitophagy Network in Parkinson’s Disease
We will comprehensively define the gene network associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease using a cutting-edge technology, CRISPR, to understand how these nerve cells die in PD and how we can reverse the cell death to treat the disease.
Magnetic Recording and Stimulation of Neural Tissue
We propose a new magnetic sensor that is sensitive to picoTesla-scale fields, a localized magnetic stimulator with small form-factor, and a seamless integration of both systems for applications in experimental and clinical neuroscience.
Inflammation, Major Histocompatibility Class I and human brain development
Maternal infection is linked to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. This proposal examines how virus-associated cytokines, specifically interferons, affect human neurons modeled in brain organoids or studied directly in fetal brain samples.