Browse wide-ranging research at the frontiers of neuroscience supported by Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute grants, awards, and training fellowships.
Projects
Structural and mechanistic analysis of the protein-protein interface between ABCA1 and ApoE as a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s Disease
We propose a new line of research whose goal is to examine the druggability of a protein-protein interface involving ApoE, an apolipoprotein whose gene variants represent the strongest genetic risk factor for AD.
Dissecting mechanisms of gut-brain communication in Parkinson’s Disease
People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) have different types of bacteria in their guts compared to people without neurological diseases. We will study which gut bacteria for people with PD to gain a better understanding of how gut bacteria contribute to inflammation in the body and in the brain or people with this condition.
Novel ketone-derived anticonvulsant agents for the treatment of childhood refractory epilepsy
We propose to apply mass spectrometry techniques to measure BHB-Phe and other KD metabolites in children undergoing KD for refractory epilepsy at Stanford. Further, in a mouse model of refractory genetic epilepsy, we will compare targeted BHB-Phe treatment to full KD treatment using transcriptomics, EEG assessment of seizures and cognitive testing.
Life-long, minimally invasive, and multiplex transcriptional profiling of the cerebellum
Why do all our brains mature and age in different ways, leading to different cognitive and behavioral outcomes? We envision a novel method that “copies” the information from the RNAs made by the neurons to sensor RNAs we artificially introduce into live animals.
Use of gut-brain electrophysiology to study interoception in eating disorders
In this study, we aim to (i) perform a feasibility study to determine the acceptance and feasibility of performing such recordings in the AN and ARFID eating disorders population and (ii) test the hypothesis that the electrophysiologic monitoring of the brain and stomach is associated with a clinically validated behavioral measure of interoception involving water distention of the stomach.
In vivo selection for gene mutations that counteract photoreceptor degeneration
Massively parallel microwire arrays for deep brain stimulation
High-speed force probes for deconstructing the biophysics of mechanotransduction
The purpose of this collaborative project is to study neuronal mechanisms associated with social stress. In particular we will test whether the energy producing systems, known as mitochondria, in a specific set of brain cells are important to confer resilience to stressful stimuli. This research may lead to treatments of stress and anxiety disorders.
Brain mechanisms of spatial reasoning in mathematics
Creating an advanced transgenic animal model of autism
Autism is a highly genetic developmental brain disorder which is characterized by social impairments. Autism affects 1 in 68 US children, with an annual cost in the US of $250 billion dollars. Unfortunately, the basic biology of autism remains poorly understood.
A novel PET radioligand to identify microglial inflammation in Alzheimer's disease
High-speed nanomechanical probing of auditory mechano-sensitive cells
Our ability to detect and interpret sounds relies on specialized sensory cells within the snail-shaped hearing organ of the inner ear—the cochlea. These hair cells sense physical movement and then convert that mechanical stimulus into a biological signal that we perceive as sound. These mechano-sensory cells perform this task within microseconds and can do so for sub-nanomechanical stimuli.
Quantitative imaging for multi-scale modeling of neurological diseases
My proposed visit to the Van De Ville lab is centered on the idea to expand our methods beyond brain tumors to other neurological diseases using the Van De Ville lab’s expertise in neuro-imaging. Imaging genomics has been focused mainly on oncology; however, other neurological diseases can be studied in the same way.
Improve reproducibility and transparency in the field of neuroimaging by applying nonparametricstatistical methods and writing R packages.
Brain data analyses involves many steps and every step is prone to errors and uncertainties. Ignoring uncertainties can potentially leading to overconfident conclusions. To improve reproducibility it is important to propagate errors throughout the anlaysis.
Biologically plausible neural algorithms for learning structured sequences
Humans naturally learn to generate and process complicated sequential patterns. For example, a concert pianist can learn an enormous repertoire of memorized music. In neuroscience, it is widely thought that synaptic plasticity – the process by which the connections between neurons change response to experience – underlies such remarkable behavior.
Identification of sex hormone interacting proteins
Enabling faster and more responsive voltage imaging through computational biophysics
TrkA-ing the chronic pain
Remote and localized neural activation using sonomagnetic stimulation
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
Answering research questions in neural control through crowdsourced challenges
Human movement results from the coordination of muscles, tendons, joints, and other physiological elements.
Novel haptic interfaces for studying human perception in virtual environments
Modelling the Pupil Light Reflex for Non-Image Forming Vision
Although you’re aware of the light that you see, light also affects us in ways that you might not appreciate. These so called “non-image forming” (NIF) pathways were recently discovered, they start in the human eye before projecting to over a dozen brain regions. They modulate aspects of human function including our daily rhythms, our sleep patterns, the way we feel and the way we think.