The Pool Lab studies neural circuits that provide a sense of purpose and direction to animal behavior and develops targeted gene therapies to re-engineer their function.

The central goal of the Dauer Lab is to unravel the molecular and cellular mechanisms of diseases that disrupt the motor system. In exploring these diseases, we also aim to understand a fundamental question relevant to CNS disease generally: what factors determine the selective vulnerability of particular cell types or circuits to insults? Our primary focus is on Parkinson’s disease and inherited forms of dystonia. We focus our efforts on disease genes that cause these disorders, employing a range of molecular, cellular, and whole animal studies to dissect the normal role of disease proteins, and how pathogenic mutations lead to disease.

Our lab focuses on the neural dynamics for successful memory access and retrieval during episodic working memory tasks to elucidate the neural circuit mechanism in the hippocampal-cortical network.

The Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care (CDRC) is nationally recognized for its cutting-edge research in unipolar and bipolar depression. The research conducted within the center brings better understanding of the causes of depression, identifies effective new treatments, and improves existing ones.

The Vernino Lab focuses on the mechanisms of autoimmune disorders of the nervous system, especially those associated with neurological autoantibodies. We use a variety of techniques including histology, and immunology.  This research is complemented by clinical therapeutic trials studying novel treatments for autoimmune encephalitis and autonomic disorders.

The Shahmoradian lab investigates the roles of domain-specific neuronal proteins using advanced cryo-imaging techniques to understand their impact on cellular dynamics and neurological health.

Our lab is working with to develop a gene therapy that would allow increased Ube3a expression in the paternal copy of the gene that causes Angelman syndrome.

Roberts Lab focuses on understanding the cellular and circuit mechanisms for behavioral learning, learning from social experiences and from example.

The Wang Lab studies neurodegeneration and cell death induced by brain injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and/or genome instability.

Our research aims to obtain a comprehensive picture of how genomic stability and chromatin dynamics affect neuronal functions, including learning behaviors, and to apply this knowledge to combat neurological disorders.