Neurons operate within complex networks, continuously balancing their individual cellular output with overall circuit stability. They accomplish this through sophisticated homeostatic mechanisms that prevent excessive or insufficient activity from disrupting network function.
Our lab investigates how homeostasis emerges from individual neurons and is achieved across neural networks. Our ultimate goal is to understand these fundamental questions: 1) how homeostatic processes in individual neurons contribute to network-level homeostasis, 2) which molecular processes maintain this balance, and 3) how neurons adapt these processes as circuit activity patterns change dynamically across behavioral states.
Research Interests
Activity-Defined Neuronal States
We hypothesize that neurons with different levels of sustained activity operate at distinct homeostatic setpoints and exhibit distinct cellular states. By identifying the molecular signatures that define these states, we aim to uncover the molecular basis of homeostatic regulation and the mechanisms that establish and maintain these setpoints.
Activity-Resolved Omics Platforms
To profile molecular events directly linked to neuronal activity, we use intracellular calcium dynamics as a record of cellular activity. We develop and apply calcium-dependent labeling platforms, including Cal-ID and CalTRAP, to capture the molecular signatures of active neuronal populations with high resolution and scalability.
Molecular Tool Development
Addressing fundamental questions in neurobiology requires new molecular tools. We engineer and tailor biochemical and genomic tools to precisely interrogate, track, and perturb activity-dependent processes in models of health and disease.
