Overview
Our lab investigates how neuromodulators shape the brain circuits that transform sensory context into adaptive actions. Using rodent models, we combine in vivo electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and neuromodulator sensors to study cortico-striatal and basal ganglia pathways. We aim to uncover how dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine regulate activity at the cellular and circuit levels, how interventions such as exercise, antidepressants, ketamine, and psychedelics reshape these dynamics, and how mechanistic insights can be translated into biomarkers that guide precision psychiatry.
Approach
We design behavioral paradigms that capture natural sensorimotor learning while remaining compatible with advanced measurement tools. Using in vivo electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, and genetically encoded sensors, we track neural activity from synapses to networks alongside real-time neuromodulator release. Targeted optical and pharmacological manipulations establish causality, while psychiatric interventions (exercise, SSRIs, ketamine, psychedelics) test how circuits adapt under clinically relevant conditions. In parallel, we measure peripheral signals such as pupil size, heart-rate variability, and respiration—translational readouts that bridge animal and human studies. This integrated strategy links cellular and modulatory mechanisms to behavior and lays the groundwork for biomarker-guided psychiatry.
Techniques
Our laboratory uses a combination of electrophysiology, imaging, and neuroanatomical approaches. We conduct whole cell recordings of single neurons, both in vitro and in vivo, to understand how the membrane potential (Vm) of neurons, representing both subthreshold and suprathreshold synaptic inputs, is affected by sensorimotor learning and dopaminergic modulation. Genetically encoded calcium indicators are used to image neuronal outputs in both freely moving and head fixed mice. A variety of anatomical tracing techniques are used to identify specific cell populations that project to brain areas of interest.
