Using innovative neuroscience to tackle neuropsychiatric illness

Determining how neural circuits break down in disease and developing new approaches to prevent it. 

Black-and-white network of neurons with branching structures and small white cell bodies. The pattern looks like a dense web of connections, resembling tree branches

Our laboratory focuses on uncovering biological mechanisms of major depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

These two neuropsychiatric illnesses are among the leading causes of disability worldwide.

Transformative treatments will require breakthroughs in the basic understanding of how these diseases work.

Black-and-white microscopic image of the hippocampus

We aim to understand how genetic risk factors for disease alter the structure and function of neural circuits and result in devastating symptoms.

To do so, we model human disease mutations in mice. Using innovative optical tools in these models, we image and manipulate the activity of key brain circuits with high resolution during the behaviors that matter most to disease. Our goal is to apply what we learn from these studies to develop new treatments to restore circuit function.