Neurobiology

Mechanism of how Sex and Pregnancy affect Neuroimmunology and Age-related Brain Diseases

How does the immune system influence how we think, remember, and age? The brain does not work alone. It is in constant communication with the immune system, and this dialogue powerfully shapes cognition across life and during disease.

What the lab explores. The lab studies how immune activity outside the brain influences memory, aging, and vulnerability to brain disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome, and how biological sex modulates these effects. A unique line of research investigates how pregnancy and fetal development leave lasting marks on the mother’s brain. This work shows how immune signals transferred during pregnancy can reshape brain function and affect cognition many years later, opening new possibilities for prevention. The lab views brain disease as a whole body process that connects immunity, development, and aging.

The lab utilized methods that include Cell sequencing, advanced whole-brain imaging, unique transgenic mouse models, immunology, and behavioral studies.

Hobbies:  Classic rock, guitars, and everything in between.

Neurobiology of Motivation and Decision-Making

How do you avoid leaving the supermarket with a cart full of Doritos when you shop hungry? Not philosophy, neuroscience.

Research focus: The lab studies the neural mechanisms underlying the gradual accumulation of motivation. We investigate how physiological need states, such as hunger, thirst, and sex drive, are encoded in the brain as continuous signals that determine when, how strongly, and for how long goal-directed behaviors are performed, shedding light on how motivational “gray zones” give rise to graded behavioral responses.

Highlighted takeaway: Motivation shapes decisions and self-control; understanding it helps explain disorders where needs and actions become uncoupled, such as addiction and eating disorders.

Methods: Molecular genetics · CRISPR · Single-cell RNA-seq · Optogenetics · Behavior · Confocal microscopy · Biochemical methods

Hobbies: Photography and terrarium building

Neurophysiology and Brain Computation

How does the brain compute information? Neurons use electrical and biochemical signals to integrate inputs and perform the basic calculations that underlie perception and behavior — and understanding this code reveals how the brain works.

Research focus: The lab investigates fundamental questions in cellular neurophysiology and neuronal computation: how individual neurons process information, what the neuronal code is at the cellular level, and how synaptic integration shapes neural computation. Research combines electrophysiology of neurons in acute brain slices with computational techniques to build realistic numerical models of complex cortical neurons. Projects include studying the biophysics of dendritic excitability, modeling calcium spikes and voltage‑gated channel dynamics, and developing computational tools that bridge experiment and theory.

Highlighted takeaway: Decoding how neurons compute and integrate signals is essential for understanding brain function and dysfunction.

Methods: Electrophysiology · Computational neuroscience · Biophysical modeling · Mathematical optimization · Neural network analysis · Acute brain slice recordings · High‑performance computing · Genetic algorithm‑based model fitting

Hobbies: Photography