Research
We are interested in how neural circuits form and how they can be made vulnerable to disease or become modified to generate symptoms. To do this the lab incorporates a multidisciplinary approach to study the generation and function of neural circuits in mouse models relevant to human disease. Our recent work has focused on three main areas. The first employs microscopy and super-resolution strategies to examine cellular mechanisms driving synapse formation and regulating synapse composition. The second relates these cellular phenomena to cell function and behavior; and the third strategy examines coordinated actions between nervous and immune systems. These approaches are currently being employed in order to identify rules and patterns important for establishing corticostriatal circuits relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders and to test how the same circuits expressing gene mutations relevant to Parkinson’s disease respond differently to stressful experiences and may even generate an environment more supportive for tumor growth and metastasis.
Publications
Meet the Team
Nathan Westneat
Associate Researcher
Renae Kurian
Masters Student
Pamela Del Valle
PhD Student
Alexander Tielemans
PhD Student
Swati Gupta
Instructor
Ally Magee
PhD Student
Matthew Fields, Hunter High School
Arianna Bassini, High School for Math, Science and Engineering
Macaelah Jeru-Ahmed, High School for Math, Science and Engineering
LAB ALUMNI (Current Position)
Michelle Lee (High School for Math, Science and Engineering
Victoria Samojedny (Case Western Reserve University)
Kumayl Alloo, BS (Columbia University)
Christopher Guevara, PhD (Senior Associate, Life Sciences and Healthcare Startup Banking, JP Morgan)
Romario Thomas (CUNY, PA School)
Amelia Weiland (Brown University)
Sarah Garcia Moreno (Cornell University)
Kyomi Blake, BS (LaSante Health Center)
Angelo Lontok, BS (University of Southern California)
Aaron Das, BS (Stony Brook University)
Gabrijella Ceni, BS (University of Rochester)
Emily Dodd (Washington University)
Nikhat Meman (Brandeis)
Fatema Begum (Fullbright Fellow)
Abhishek Sahasrabudhe, PhD (Senior Scientist, Merck)
Ayan Hussein, PhD (Biotech Equity Research Assoc, Cantor Fitzgerald)
Roxana Mesias, PhD (Program Manager, Mentorship and Student Engagement, Weill Cornell Graduate School)
Mofida Abdelmageed (Penn State College of Medicine, PhD student)
Bridget Matikainen-Ankney, PhD (Assistant Professor, Rutgers University)
Nebojsa Kezunovic, PhD (Medical Science Liason, Amgen)
Cynthia Mercedes, MS (Med Student,Jacobs School of Medicine)
Lauren Friedman, PhD (Scientific Program Manager, NINDS)
Chenel Morrison, MD (Residency, Columbia University)
Frances Williams, MPH (Graduate Research Asst, Columbia)
Ellen Hoffman, MD, PhD(Assistant Professor, Yale Child Study Center)
Bryan Sepulveda, MS, PhD (Sr Director Evidence Generation Strategy; Scientific Comm for Sirtex Medical)
Kuangfu Hsiao, PhD; (Assistant Professor, Children’s National Research Institute)
Caitlin Trasande, PhD (Scientific Director, Sr Program Manager, Sloan-Kettering)
Ioana Carcea, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, Brain Health Institute)
Pamela Shah/Mukhatiyar, BS, MD (Asst Professor, Pediatrics, Rutgers NJ Medical School)
Eva Chmielnicki, PhD (Director of Business Development, Bristol Meyers Squibb)
Tonya Anderson, PhD (Medical Science Consultant; Patient Advocate/Liason)
C. David Mintz, MD, PhD (Assoc Professor, Johns Hopkins)
Iddil Bekirov, PhD (Program Manager, OTDC, NIMH)
Tracey Dickson, PhD (Director, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Univ of Tasmania, Australia)
Wandong Zhang, PhD (Senior Scientist, BioMarin Pharmaceutical)