Members

Dr. Barea-Rodriguez’s research interest focuses on investigating and applying the best teaching practices in STEM education, including the use of pedagogy, which is defined as the method and practice of teaching.

Dr. Brey’s research uses cutting-edge biomedical engineering approaches to advance tissue regeneration. He uses biomaterials as scaffolds for promoting vascularization.

Dr. Cardona studies the crosstalk between the nervous and immune system. She is interested in the regulation of autoimmune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and diabetes.

Dr. Frantz uses medicinal chemistry to understand the nervous system in normal and diseased states. His lab is developing new drugs and small molecules to prevent and treat neuropathic pain and other brain disorders.

Dr. Gaufo’s lab studies early developmental patterning in vertebrate embryos. By applying developmental principles, his lab hopes to enhance strategies to promote brain regeneration. 

Dr. Golob’s lab explores fundamental brain processes in the auditory system that support spatial cognition, attention and working memory, and perception and action. His lab also studies normal aging and age-related cognitive disorders.

Dr. Guda’s lab is focused on developing regenerative strategies for tissue engineering. The lab uses biomaterials for controlled drug delivery applications, 3D printing and bioreactors and studies matrix mechanics to develop tissue regenerative strategies.

Dr. Hermann’s laboratory studies the biology of adult stem cells. His lab uses cutting-edge genomics techniques to study mechanisms of spermatogonial stem cell development which could be applied to address male infertility.

Dr. Hsieh’s lab focuses on mechanisms that regulate neurogenesis in the mammalian brain. The lab studies health conditions by using human induced pluripotent stem cells and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology as approaches to understand mechanisms underlying brain disorders.

Dr. Huang uses computational tools and statistical methods to perform high throughput analysis of the genome. His lab also develops brain machine interface approaches to help characterize the function of the brain.

Dr. Hung’s lab studies host immunity to fungal infections which can cause nervous system damage. Her research can lead to the developmental of new antifungal therapy.

Dr. Jaffe's lab focuses on how individual neurons and neuronal networks process information. His work focuses on two areas of the nervous system. First, on the hippocampal formation, a region of the brain important for the acquisition and consolidation of declarative information (i.e. facts and events) and one that is impacted early in Alzheimer’s disease. Second, his lab is interested in the transmission of pain information through the dorsal root ganglion into the spinal cord.

Dr. Klose’s lab is interested in how bacteria cause disease. He works extensively with Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, and Francisella tularensis, which causes tularemia.  His lab has broad interest in microbial impacts on human health, including brain health and other disorders.

Professor Ko’s research uses mathematical modeling approaches and machine learning methods to detect and analyze neural activity patterns.  

Dr. LeBaron’s research is focused on extracellular matrix molecules which is important in tissue development and regeneration. His research can be applied to cancer, diabetes, stem cell biology and brain health.  

Dr. Lee’s research is focused on the understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying the selective neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Current research in his lab focuses on the pathological role of neuronal cell cycle re-entry and energy metabolism in AD and peripheral neuropathy. 

Dr. Lin’s research is focused on stem cell and cancer biology. Her lab studies how neural stem cells proliferate and differentiate to generate functional neurons in brain health and disease.

Dr. Liu’s lab uses chemical biology techniques to study mechanisms of oxygen which is important in cellular metabolism and brain health.

Dr. Lopez-Ribot’s lab studies the biology of microbial biofilms and uses animal models to better understand virulence and host responses during infection. His research aims at developing new anti-virulence drugs for the treatment of fungal infections.

The Macpherson lab uses calcium imaging and optogenetic tools to monitor and manipulate the function of specific chemosensory circuits.

Dr. Maroof's lab studies the molecular and physiological aspects of cellular dysfunction that occur in the brain with aging, injury, or disease. His lab uses human induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Research in Dr. McCarrey’s lab is centered on the development, differentiation, and epigenetic regulation of mammalian germ cells and stem cells. The lab uses epigenomics approaches such as genome-wide methylation and transcriptome analysis. 

Dr. Muzzio’s research focuses on the variables that affect spatial navigation and episodic memory - events occurring in specific contexts at particular times. Specifically, her lab investigates the effects of emotion on memory processes, the impact of sleep deprivation on learning, and the neural and cognitive changes associated with aging and navigation.

The Navara lab specializes in disease in a dish modeling of human disease using human and non-human primate pluripotent stem cells with a particular focus on neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Ong's primary research focus on the modification and characterization of biomaterial surfaces for tissue regenerative applications. In combination with biological molecules and cells, his lab uses novel tissue engineered scaffolds and biomaterials to optimize cellular and tissue responses for the regeneration of functional tissues in order to maintain and repair damaged tissues and/or organs.

The Paladini lab investigates the cellular, synaptic, and circuit mechanisms by which inputs to dopamine neurons influence their activity, and how they are changed in various disease states, such as in drug addiction, psychiatric diseases, and Parkinson’s disease. His lab uses light-sensitive opsins to selectively manipulate brain circuits.

Dr. Perry’s lab is interested in the formation and consequences of Alzheimer’s disease. The lab focuses on oxidative stress as a mechanism underlying Alzheimer’s disease.

The Rathbone lab is interested in developing cell-based therapies for traumatic injuries. His lab specializes in stem cell-based approaches to promote tissue regeneration.

Dr. Robbins’s lab uses computational modeling approaches to develop algorithms and tools to automatically analyze activity patterns. Her lab is involved in data-driven research in cancer and neurobiology.

Dr. Sunter’s lab explores host-pathogen interactions using plant viruses. His lab is focused on mechanisms of virus gene expression and epigenetic regulation.

Dr. Santamaria uses theoretical and experimental approaches to understand how the cerebellum processes and stores information. He uses computational algorithms to model the function of Purkinje cells and compares them to data obtained from neurons.

Research in the Troyer lab focuses on the question of how neural activity is coordinated within neural circuits to produce behavior. His lab studies songbird and mouse vocalization to understand how the brain orchestrates activity on multiple timescales to produce a complex sequence of actions.

The Romero lab uses biomedical engineering approaches to understand the function of the brain in normal and disease states. She uses magnetic nanoparticles to non-invasively turn ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ specific neurons which can be applied to the nervous system in health and disease.

Dr. Wanat's research focuses on the neural circuits that control reward-seeking actions as well as the avoidance of aversive outcomes. The lab employs a diverse array of experimental techniques, including fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and fiber photometry.

Dr. Wang uses computational biology and bioinformatics approaches. The lab performs next-generation sequencing and pathway analyses to understand gene network regulation. 

Dr. Wicha studies the neurobiology of human language. Her research covers a wide age range from children to older adults. Her current research focuses on the neural mechanisms supporting the bilingual brain, including language comprehension and math cognition. 

Dr. Wilson’s lab studies the circuitry and neurons of the basal ganglia, a structure that becomes dysfunctional in Parkinson’s Disease. His lab uses intracellular recording, fluorescence microscopy, and computer simulations to study basal ganglia neurons.

Dr. Wormley uses molecular and immunological techniques to study fungal infections related to brain health and other disorders. The lab studies immune mechanisms to advance vaccine development.