While the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is known to be a highly stress sensitive region of the brain, there is surprisingly little understanding of the role the BLA plays in the […]
Emerging evidence suggests that key neurodevelopmental processes are shaped by immune and microbial signals during the prenatal period. My work is based on the premise that disruptions to these signals can alter neurodevelopmental trajectories and increase vulnerability to lifelong mental health disorders. Using a clinically translatable mouse model of maternal influenza infection, we demonstrate that […]
Synapses are the computational subunits of the brain. They allow cell-type specific forms of information flow, permit neurons to compartmentalize electrical and biochemical signals, and undergo rapid structural plasticity during experience. Although Crick suggested spine plasticity was a correlate of memory more than 40 years ago, it has been hard to understand precisely how the […]
Ever since the discovery that the degeneration of midbrain DA neurons (mDANs) projecting to the striatum underlies bradykinesia (i.e., slowness of movement) in Parkinson’s disease (PD), DA has become synonymous with motor vigor. However, the mechanisms through which DA contributes to the speed and amplitude of individual voluntary movements are still debated. Initial investigations suggested […]
Indigenous contemplative practices and teachings have enabled Indigenous Peoples to develop an important paradigm of healing that has important implications for western medicine and health care providers who work with […]
The integration of MRI and transcranial focused ultrasound represents a disruptive technology that has many potential applications. This seminar will provide an overview of a new research program I established in […]
Our lab seeks to gain granular descriptions of synaptic, neuronal and network dynamics in the brain. To this end, we use a combination of in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology, […]
Combining open-ended interviews (outside the scanner) with structural, trial-by-trial, and resting-state functional MRI neuroimaging, we examined real-time functional neural dynamics underlying diverse urban mid-adolescents’ cognitive and emotional engagement with compelling […]
Successful pursuit of reinforcers requires the generation of predictions and evaluation of outcomes. Midbrain dopamine neurons and their projections to the striatum are thought to be critical for these processes. […]
The human brain has the remarkable capacity to transport the self into the past and future. While previously thought of as distinct functions, recent research has shown that memory for […]
The Neuroscience Research Colloquium (NRC), is a series of lectures featuring local and international neuroscientists.
