PREP Faculty Directory

Ana Maria Acosta, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Motor Control, Movement & Rehabilitation

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Human Functional and Structural Imaging

Research Interest Description:

I am interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying movement impairments after neural injury or disease and how the nervous system adapts. Current work examines the role of the trunk and the shoulder complex in the motor control of the arm in individuals with brain injury resulting from a stroke. Additional work looks at other aspects of arm movement like the stretch reflex also in stroke and developing rehabilitation interventions to address these movement impairments.

Atique Ahmed, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://www.ahmed-lab.org

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

The focus of my laboratory research is to elucidate the mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in brain tumor. We are particularly interested in investigating the role of cellular plasticity in promoting the cancer stem cell niche and disease recurrence as well as identify novel druggable target to initiate clinical tri

Ivan Alekseichuk, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/neuromodlab/

Research Types: Cognitive Neuroscience, Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuropharmacology, Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Human Functional and Structural Imaging, Other

Research Interest Description:

The Precision Neuromodulation Lab investigates how macroscopic neural communications in the human brain encode cognition and emotions in wellness and disorders. We are concurrently developing and applying noninvasive brain stimulation techniques with neuroimaging to understand the causality of brain-behavior interactions. Additionally, we are developing novel brain stimulation-based treatments in psychiatry. Our experimental program includes neuropsychological studies in mood regulation, decision-making, and memory as well as clinical trials in device-based interventional therapies for mental health. Our goal is to enable promising neuroscientific theories about the human brain through interventional experiments and to advance interventional brain therapies according to the precision medicine framework.

Luis Amaral, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://amaral.northwestern.edu

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Neurodegenerative diseases are becoming one of the major causes of death in developed nations. Many of these diseases are strongly associated with aging, prompting the question of which are the changes occurring during aging that have such a large impact on the brain. Our lab is interested in the transcriptomic changes that may occur in different cell types and brain locations as humans and other organisms age. Data from a number of experimental studies suggest that a major challenge to characterize such transcriptomic changes is that they may typically be small and nearly undetectable at the level of single genes. Our lab is investigating whether there may be systematic changes associated with transcript length and whether these changes point to specific mechanisms.

Daniel Arango, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/arangolab/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our group is interested in unraveling the molecular mechanisms by which post-transcriptional modifications of RNA regulate mRNA processing, stability, and translation and how this interplay affects cell fate decisions and the cellular response to stress. By integrating RNA biology, transcriptomics, and cell biology, we aim to uncover novel mechanisms of gene expression regulation and their contributions to disease, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, while generating new tools and methods that can be harnessed for therapeutic means.

Raj Awatramani, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing

Research Interest Description:

Dysfunctional dopamine (DA) signaling has been associated with a broad spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders, prompting investigations into how midbrain DA neuron heterogeneity may underpin this variety of behavioral symptoms. Emerging literature indeed points to functional heterogeneity even within anatomically defined DA clusters. Recognizing the need for a systematic classification scheme, we have used single-cell profiling to catalog DA neurons based on their gene expression profiles. The goal of my laboratory is to continue to refine our classification of midbrain DA neurons and determine their anatomical and functional properties in normal and diseased states. We also aim to understand developmental mechanisms underpinning this remarkable heterogeneity.

Kynon J Benjamin, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://krotosbenjamin.github.io

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroimmunology

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

At the Health Equity for Advancing Research and Technology using Genomic Neuroscience (HEART-GeN) lab, we aim to improve therapeutics for underrepresented communities by investigating the influence of genetic ancestry on molecular signatures in the brain. We use computational tools and disease-relevant models such as postmortem brain tissues, brain organoids, and iPSC-derived glial cells to uncover how genetic ancestry impacts complex traits in the brain. This integrative approach provides insights into the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in complex brain disorders.

Mark Bevan, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/bevan/

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Motor Control, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology, Neuropharmacology, Other

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Proteomics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our research is focused on the basal ganglia, a group of subcortical brain nuclei critical for the motivation, selection, and execution of action sequences and the primary site of dysfunction in psychomotor disorders including Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Our long-term research goals are to define the cellular, synaptic, and circuit mechanisms underlying normal and pathological basal ganglia activity and their linkage to psychomotor function and dysfunction. We have published expertise in in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology, neuroanatomy at the light and electron microscopic levels, optogenetics, chemogenetics, 2-photon microscopy and uncaging, molecular profiling and manipulation, computational modeling, and mouse behavior.

Gabriela Caraveo Piso, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://caraveopisolab.squarespace.com/

Research Types: Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our laboratory focuses on understanding how calcineurin, the master regulator of Ca2+ signaling, orchestrates cellular responses in neurons and astrocytes, particularly during memory and learning. We study how these processes are disrupted in α-synuclein pathobiology, a protein implicated in Parkinson's Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies. We employ a multidisciplinary approach, from cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolomics, structural biology, electrophysiology to behavior. Our studies span various model systems, including yeast, primary hippocampal rodent neurons, human iPSC-derived cortical neurons, and in vivo mouse models. Our work not only deepens our understanding of the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying memory formation in the hippocampus but also demonstrates significant therapeutic potential. We have shown that Tacrolimus, an FDA-approved calcineurin inhibitor, effectively prevents α-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration in preclinical rat models.

Insup Choi, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroimmunology

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

Understanding the neuronal environment is crucial for addressing neurodegenerative diseases, akin to examining withering trees in a garden. Our research focuses on microglia, brain-resident macrophages, in conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. We investigate the impact of senescent microglia using genetic mouse models and cell cultures. Senescent cells, accumulating with age, exhibit distinct changes and can damage their environment through pro-inflammatory factors, potentially leading to loss of neuroprotective functions and increased brain inflammation. Our aims are to elucidate:

-How disease conditions promote microglial senescence
-Mechanisms linking senescent microglia to neurotoxicity
-Influence of genetic risk factors on these pathways

Using reporter mice to detect senescent cells in disease models, we seek to uncover insights into microglial senescence and its implications for neurodegenerative diseases, potentially revealing new therapeutic targets.

Nicholas Cianciotto, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/cianciottolab/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

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Anis Contractor, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://contractorlab.org

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

Research in our laboratory is directed at understanding the fundamental mechanisms of synaptic communication and how these processes go wrong in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Daniel Dombeck, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: http://dombecklab.org

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Motor Control

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Other

Research Interest Description:

The neuronal activity underlying mammalian spatial navigation represents one of the most striking examples of behavioral correlation in the brain. Dr. Dombeck’s lab is interested in the cellular and circuit mechanisms responsible for the neuronal activity that allows mammals to navigate and form spatial memories. To accomplish this, the lab develops and applies novel optical and genetic techniques to perform cellular and subcellular resolution imaging and manipulation of neuronal activity in mice navigating in virtual reality environments. By understanding the spatial navigation circuitry, it will hopefully be possible to extract general principles about neuronal circuit dynamics and memory formation in behaving mammals.

Lillian Eichner, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/eichner/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

My lab studies lung cancer. I would be interested in hosting a student as a PREP faculty only.

Adriana Ferreira, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/ferreira/

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Other

Research Interest Description:

The long-term goal of my research is to understand, from a cell and molecular biological perspective, how mammalian central neurons establish and maintain specific synaptic connections.

Marco Gallio

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/marco-gallio/

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Genetics and Epigenetics, Neuronal Cell Biology, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our long term goal is to understand how sensory stimuli are used to build an internal representation of the physical world, and how this representation is in turn processed into our actions and behaviors. For this, our laboratory studies temperature sensing and preference in the fruit fly Drosophila. How are hot and cold stimuli detected at the periphery? How are they processed in the brain? How are they integrated with additional sensory streams and internal drives to produce behaviors such as attraction and avoidance? Using the fly as a model system is allowing us to study the basic principles of decision making and motivated behavior in an animal with only 100 thousand neurons (rather than our ~100 billion), and taking advantage of a highly sophisticated experimental toolkit.

Ruli Gao, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/gao/index.html

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

We study molecular and cellular mechanisms of brain metastasis in cancer patients using long read single cell sequencing and bioinformatic approaches. We are also interested in analyzing mosaic mutations and splicing abnormalities in human brains.

Jaime Garcia-Anoveros, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://anoverosduggan.northwestern.edu/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurodevelopment, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

We study the cochlea develops, how it generates its specialized sensory and supporting cell types, and how it is innervated and communicates with the brain. The research is fundamental to understanding hearing and treating deafness, with a strong emphasis in regeneration of lost or disconnected sensory cells and neurons.

Vladimir Gelfand, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://www.gelfandlab.org/

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Proteomics

Research Interest Description:

We are interested in mechanisms of neuronal growth and polarity, We are using Drosophila melanogaster neurons in vivo and in culture and work using live-cell imaging, optogenetics, Drosophilas genetics to address these questions

Changiz Geula, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroimmunology, Neuronal Cell Biology, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our laboratory pursues several overlapping areas of research in the human brain, with additional investigations centered on non-human primate models, rodent models and cell culture systems. The specific areas of research conducted at our laboratory include: -Age-related changes in the human brain -Factors that contribute to exceptionally high cognitive performance in old age (SuperAging) -Pathobiology of neurodegenerative disorders with a focus on dementias -Mechanisms of the spread of pathology in dementias, including potential trans-synaptic spread of pathology -Underlying mechanisms of selective neuronal vulnerability in neurodegenerative disorders, with an emphasis on the role of intraneuronal calcium dysregulation to this process -Contribution of microglia activation and neuroinflammation to dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration We approach our research using diverse methodologies, including anatomic, pathologic, molecular (transcriptomics, genetic) and neurochemical techniques.

Lucy Godley, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Research Interest Description:

We have an active collaboration with Dr. Crismita Dmello (Dept Neurosurgery) examining the role of CHEK2 in mediating sensitivity to immunotherapy for brain tumors.

Jeffery Goldstein, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Human Functional and Structural Imaging

Research Interest Description:

Stillbirth, adverse pregnancy outcomes, imaging machine learning, upskilling, infection in pregnancy, developmental origins of health and disease

Eva Gottwein, PhD

Campus Location: Both

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/gottwein/index.html

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Other

Research Interest Description:

We study how human Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesviruses causes cancers derived from B cells and endothelial cells.

Alicia Guemez-Gamboa, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://sites.northwestern.edu/guemezgamboalab/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

The main goal of our lab is to understand how neural circuits assemble during development and disease. We are particularly interested on the genetic causes and cellular mechanisms related to circuit defects in autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy. Our current research focuses on identifying and investigating novel molecular bases of cellular recognition that orchestrate neural circuit assembly during development, and how when they go awry contribute to brain connectivity defects.

SeungHye Han, MD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/seunghyehanlab/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

The Han lab studies the mechanisms of how lung epithelial cells repair after injury and how aberrant repair occurs resulting in fibrosis. We are particularly interested in mitochondrial metabolism and how cellular metabolism affects lung epithelial stem cell function and fate, in the context of lung development and lung repair after injury. We are also interested in how lung epithelial stem cells interact with other cell types, such as immune cells and mesenchymal cells, during repair after lung injury and the development of pulmonary fibrosis. We apply a multidisciplinary strategy using elaborately designed genetic knock-out and knock-in mouse systems, in vitro organoid models, RNA-sequencing and metabolomics. The research projects are funded by grants from the NIH and private foundations.

Mitra Hartmann, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://sense-lab.github.io/

Research Types: Motor Control, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

We are interested in the neuroscience of active sensing behaviors and particularly the sense of touch. We use the rodent whisker (vibrissal) system as a model to gain insight into closed loop sensorimotor control.

CJ Heckman, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=11464

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Motor Control, Movement & Rehabilitation, Neurobiology of Disease

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Human Functional and Structural Imaging

Research Interest Description:

Electrophysiology and computational modeling of spinal sensorimotor neurons and circuits.

Bin Jiang, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/bjiang/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Other

Research Interest Description:

We investigate the role of autonomous nervous system in vascular development and regeneration in various vascular diseases, such as aneurysm, calcification and atherosclerosis.

Jennifer Kearney, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/kearney/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Research in my laboratory is focused on identifying genetic factors that contribute to severe childhood epilepsies and neurodevelopmental disorders. To understand how genetic variations contribute to the underlying pathophysiology, we develop and use mouse models for genetic, physiological and pharmacological studies, as well as in vitro and ex vivo systems to understand cellular effects. The overarching goal is to translate this genetic knowledge into better treatments for childhood epilepsy syndromes and neurodevelopmental disorders.

John Kessler, MD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuroimmunology, Neuronal Cell Biology, Other

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Proteomics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our research has focused extensively on the regulation of gene expression by stem/progenitor cells and their differentiated progeny. We have defined signaling pathways that direct glial and neuronal lineage commitment and characterized patterns of gene expression that coordinate these processes in both the developing and adult nervous system. I also am the Director of the Northwestern University Stem Cell Institute. I established a core pluripotent stem cell facility for Northwestern almost 15 years ago and have facilitated the use by numerous investigators of human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells. Although the majority of my research career has focused on studies of basic cellular and molecular neurobiology, the long-term goal has been to translate our findings into clinical applications. Our work has also collaboratively embraced other fields including bionanotechnology and materials science to help develop tools for accomplishing this long-term goal.

Evangelos Kiskinis, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://evangeloskiskinislab.org

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology, Other

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

My laboratory harnesses the power of human pluripotent stem cells to study neuronal development as well as to understand how neuronal function is impaired as a result of injury or disease. We utilize patient-specific iPSCs and direct reprogramming methods to generate different cell types of the CNS, such as motor neurons, cortical excitatory and inhibitory neurons. We phenotype patient cells by a combination of molecular, biochemical and electrophysiological assays. We are focused on 3 broad topics: a) deciphering the degenerative mechanisms that give rise to distinct genetic and sporadic ALS subtypes (Ortega et al., Neuron); b) developing models of developmental epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) (Simkin et al., eLife); and c) improving iPSC-based technologies (Ziller et al., Cell Stem Cell). The overarching goal of our research is to provide novel insights into neuronal development and identify points of targeted and effective therapeutic intervention for epilepsy and ALS/FTD.

Tsutomu Kume, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

My laboratory is recognized for studies highlighting the role of a family of transcription factors termed Forkhead/FOX in diverse biological processes. Key observations include studies elucidating the role of FOXC1 and FOXC2 as (1) factors that serve as essential regulators of cardiovascular and eye development, (2) key factors of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and (3) important regulators of neural crest-derived cells in the anterior eye segment, including the cornea. These research efforts have spawned novel areas of investigation with therapeutic implications for numerous biological systems, including the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular and ocular systems. Studies in my group have recently extended toward disorders of the ocular surface and cornea, and we have established a research team to investigate mechanisms underlying the contribution of neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells to the maintenance and activation of limbal epithelial stem cells.

Laimonis Laimins, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Roles of DNA damage repair pathways in cervical cancers caused by human papillomavirus infections

Shannon Lauberth, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://lauberthlab.com

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

We are investigating the role of DNA topoisomerase I (TOP1) in neuroinflammatory diseases, focusing on its influence on DNA replication, transcription, and repair in the context of inflammation-driven neurological dysfunction. By examining how TOP1 activity modulates gene expression and cellular responses in neural and immune cells, we aim to elucidate its contribution to neuroinflammatory pathogenesis and identify potential therapeutic targets

Jeremy Lavine, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/lavinelab/

Research Types: Neuroimmunology

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our research focuses on innate immune cells and how they regulate homeostasis and disease in the retina and during vision. We are interested in their functions during retinal inflammation, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. We use confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and single cell RNA-sequencing to understand innate immune cell function at steady state and in mouse disease models.

Caroline Le Poole, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://www.lepoolelab.com

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Human Functional and Structural Imaging, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

In tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders are the most challenging aspect of disease. Our approach has been to design therapeutics that target mutant cells by means of the adaptive immune response.

Talia Lerner, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://lernerlab.org/

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Motor Control

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

The Lerner Lab studies the neural circuit basis of motivation, reward learning, and habit formation. We are particularly interested in how individual variations in dopamine circuit function relate to differences in behavior and neuropsychiatric disease risk.

Hao Li, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://www.haolilab.org/

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

My lab utilizes cutting-edge circuit and systems approaches to study how neuropeptidergic circuits mediate valence processing and regulate motivated behaviors. Specifically, my lab is interested in 1) understanding how neuropeptides exert long-lasting neuromodulatory effects on circuits to regulate emotional states, 2) identifying risk factors of addiction vulnerability and resilience, 3) investigating neural mechanisms underlying observational social aggression, and 4) exploring how the brain-body connection can contribute to anxiety and depression. Ultimately, we aim to understand the neural underpins of motivation and emotion and advance the quest for better treatments for mental health disorders.

Liming Li, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

The Li lab studies prion biology. Prion proteins are unique in their ability to exist in multiple stable conformations, at least one of which is infectious. The mammalian prion (PrPSc) is responsible for the devastating neurodegenerative disorders known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases. Our laboratory focuses on using yeast and other model systems to understand how a prion protein acquires its infectious prion conformations and how such conformations are maintained in vivo.

Huiping Liu, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Human Functional and Structural Imaging, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

Our passion is to elucidate fundamental cancer biology and to prevent and cure cancer with innovative therapeutics. Mission: We strive to target cancer stem cells in metastasis and boost anti-cancer immunity, thereby removing the root of cancer and clearing the metastatic seeds to vital organs, such as the lungs and brain, with cross-disciplinary team synergy and advanced technologies such as machine learning, spatial multi-omics, and bioinformatic intelligence. We are poised to utilize deep learning and machine learning (artificial intelligence) tools for accelerating our research.

Yaping Liu, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://epifluidlab.github.io

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuroimmunology

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

The research focus of my lab is on developing and applying computational and high-throughput experimental methods in epigenomics to understand the gene regulation of non-coding genetic variants in different pathological conditions, including brain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, we focused on the method development for cell-free DNA and single-cell multi-omics for the early diagnosis and prognosis of complex diseases.

Gianmaria Maccaferri, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics

Research Interest Description:

My interest is focused on the hippocampus, which is an area of the brain involved in higher cognitive functions, and is often the target of neurological illnesses like epilepsy, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, we study the synaptic properties of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons, which are a very heterogeneous cellular population, with wide anatomical and functional diversity. Additionally, we are trying to unravel the network functions of Cajal-Retzius cells, which are neurons involved in guiding cortical development, but whose computations remain poorly understood. Methodologically, we use state-of-the-art electrophysiological techniques in vitro such as paired recordings from anatomically identified connected neurons, optogenetic control of specific cellular populations and behavioral analysis of transgenic mice. We hope that relating different neuronal types to specific network roles and behaviors in vivo will generate important insights into the organizing principles of cortical networks in the normal brain and during disease, potentially suggesting novel therapeutic strategies.

Elena Martinelli, PhD, MPH

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://www.martinellilab.org/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Transcriptomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

One focus of the research in the lab is the impact of HIV in the CNS, including HIV persistance mechanisms and consequences (such as HIV-related neurocognitive dysfunction)

Daniela Matei, MD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our lab is a cancer biology lab, we focus on metabolic features of drug resistant cancers.

Malcolm McIver, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Research Types: Motor Control

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics

Research Interest Description:

Professor MacIver believes that the body’s mechanical intelligence can be just as important, if not more important, than what’s going on in your head. His primary scientific efforts are in understanding how animal mechanics and sensory abilities fit together, and he pursues that problem using approaches from neuroscience, animal behavior studies, robotics, mathematical modeling, and computer simulations. In engineering, he has pioneered the development of a new sensor inspired by the ability of certain fish to sense using a self-generated electric field, and highly maneuverable propulsion systems based on fish locomotion. In 2009 he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering from President Obama at the White House, the highest award given to emerging scientists by the government.

Andrew Miri, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://www.mirilab.org/

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Motor Control

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

The patterns of muscle activation that drive movement reflect an interplay between neuronal circuits in the spinal cord and an array of motor system regions. Yet how this interplay gives rise to the remarkable complexity and agility of mammalian movement is poorly understood. This ambiguity stems from the historical challenge of characterizing interactions between neuronal populations over the short timescale (milliseconds) on which the activity of muscles must be coordinated during movement. Fortunately, a wealth of recent technical advances newly enable such characterization. Thanks to emerging physiological methods, we can now assess activity across multiple motor system populations as they interact. With new genetic tools, neural activity measurement and perturbation can be targeted to distinct subpopulations of neurons, which may represent the elemental units of motor system operation. And new computational techniques can identify prominent patterns and salient effects in the activities of populations of neurons and muscles.

Jason Miska, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://miska-lab.squarespace.com/

Research Types: Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroimmunology

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

The Miska Laboratory investigates how metabolism influences immune responses against brain tumors, aiming to modify these responses to inhibit tumor growth and improve patient outcomes. Our research includes exploring the role of the creatine-phosphagen system in brain tumor progression, examining polyamine metabolism in myeloid immunobiology, and conducting clinical immune monitoring for both adult and pediatric brain tumor clinical trials. We employ a range of classic and innovative techniques to understand and enhance systemic anti-tumor immunity against brain tumors.

Brian Mitchell, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/mitchell/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

While our work is not specifically focused on neuroscience, the formation and function of motile cilia is important in lots of contexts including in the ventricles of the brain where they drive the flow of cerebral spinal fluid.

Richard Morimoto, PhD, MPH

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: http://molbiosci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/richard-morimoto.html

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Human lifespan has increased dramatically, and with this is the increased risk for dementia and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging and degenerative diseases are closely linked with a poor response to cell stress and increased molecular and cellular damage caused by toxic misfolded, aggregated and amyloid proteins. Our research on protein quality control mechanisms regulated by the proteostasis network, the heat shock response and the unfolded protein responses of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria employs C. elegans, patient-derived direct differentiated cortical and striatal neurons, and uses genetic, molecular, cellular, biochemical, omic and computational approaches. Proteostasis collapse in aging is genetically programmed and results in age-dependent acceleration of protein damage and increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS and Huntington’s disease. Our current efforts are to identify the earliest events that predict proteostasis failure in neurons and to develop genetic and therapeutic strategies to slow or reverse this decline.

Elizabeth Norton, PhD

Campus Location: Both

Website: https://learnlab.northwestern.edu

Research Types: Cognitive Neuroscience, Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment

Faculty Technique: Human Functional and Structural Imaging

Research Interest Description:

My research focuses on understanding typical reading and language development as well as developmental and learning disabilities, including dyslexia, developmental language disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. My lab uses brain imaging, including MRI and EEG/ERP, in combination with behavioral measures to address these questions. I am particularly interested in how combining behavior with brain imaging might help us to identify children who are at risk for these disorders earlier than traditional behavioral methods would allow, so that earlier intervention can be provided. I am also working to bring our neuroscience tools to more “real world” contexts, such as the NICU for preterm infants or to assess parents' and toddlers' brains as they play together. As a member of Northwestern's Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci) and director of its Neurodevelopmental Core, I support various projects related to child development and health.

Robin Nusslock, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Research Types: Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroimmunology, Other

Faculty Technique: Human Functional and Structural Imaging

Research Interest Description:

My research program uses neuroscientific methods to examine order and disorder in the emotional brain. Specifically, we use neurophysiology (electroencephalography, event-related potentials) and both structural and functional neuroimaging to study the neural mechanisms involved in approach (e.g., reward) and avoidance (e.g., threat, fear) emotional states, as well as the regulation of these emotions by the prefrontal cortex. We then aim to translate our research on the emotional brain to the investigation of neural mechanisms underlying emotional disorders, including depression, anxiety, and mania. Finally, I recently expanded my research program to examine bidirectional signaling between the brain and the immune system in generating risk for both mental and physical health problems.

Puneet Opal, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/opal/index.html

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Genetics and Epigenetics, Motor Control, Movement & Rehabilitation, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

The long-term goal of my laboratory is to understand the cellular basis of neurodegeneration. We are testing the idea that neurodegeneration results from derangements in relatively few but strategic sub-cellular pathways. By identifying critical components of these pathways one could begin to not only understand the biology of neurodegeneration, but also embark on the design of novel therapeutic agents. We are currently studying the autosomal dominant disorder Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 (SCA1), a relentless disease that affects cerebellar Purkinje cells and brainstem neurons. This disorder is caused by polyglutamine expansion in the involved disease protein and is thus similar to a growing number of disorders, including Huntington disease, that share this mutational mechanism. Patients with SCA1 begin to display cerebellar signs characterized by motor incoordination or ataxia in early to mid adulthood. Unfortunately there is no treatment for this disease, patients eventually succumb from the complications of brainstem dysfunction.

Ertuğrul Özbudak, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/ozbudak/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics

Research Interest Description:

We are studying embryonic development by using zebrafish as the animal model. We are studying pattern formation and somite segmentation (precursors of the vertebral column).

Loukia Parisiadou, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://parisiadoulab.com/

Research Types: Motor Control, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

Our laboratory studies the molecular basis of Parkinson's disease (PD) with a focus on the cellular and molecular pathways dysregulated by PD-linked genes such as α-synuclein and LRRK2. Our long-term research goal by interrogating α-synuclein and mainly LRRK2-dependent alterations at the cellular, network, and behavioral levels is to understand the pathophysiology of PD. The gained knowledge will provide useful insights towards the development of mechanism-based therapeutic opportunities for a disease that is currently addressed symptomatically.

Joo-Seop Park, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

The Park lab studies how stem/progenitor cells differentiate into specialized cell types, using the mouse kidney as our model system. Given that the nephron—the functional unit of the kidney—has over 15 distinct cell types, all emerging from common progenitor cells, it offers a unique window into developmental processes. Our research focuses on three key areas: First, we investigate how key developmental signaling pathways—like Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog—guide nephron formation. Second, we identify transcription factors that define the identities of each nephron cell type. Third, we explore how these transcription factors interact with signaling pathways to form gene regulatory networks. Understanding these processes could provide crucial insights into maintaining healthy kidneys and treating kidney disease.

Reesha Patel, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://reeshapatellab.org

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroimmunology, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our goal is to understand how neuroimmune signaling and social factors impact neural circuits and behavior, and if we can harness immune mechanisms to reprogram circuits to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. To gain deep mechanistic insight, we use a multidisciplinary approach including molecular biology, cell-type specific transcriptomics, patch electrophysiology, optogenetics, and cellular resolution calcium imaging in freely behaving mice. Current research aims include: 1) determining the causal role of social stress (i.e. social isolation and social subordination) induced immune signaling in escalated alcohol consumption, 2) examine immune interactions with a subpopulation of cortical neurons expressing the receptor for corticotropin-releasing hormone in social isolation-induced aberrant behavior, and 3) identify predictive neuroimmune signatures and mechanisms contributing to social status (i.e. social rank) related susceptibility to behavioral phenotypes of psychiatric disorders. Ultimately, we aim to identify novel immune mechanisms for more efficacious therapeutics for mental health disorders.

Minoli Perera, PhD, PharmD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

We work in under-represented populations (African Americans and Puerto Ricans) to identify genetic biomarkers of drug response and disease susceptibility (cardiovascular/clotting diseases).

Eric Perreault, PhD

Campus Location: Both

Research Types: Motor Control, Movement & Rehabilitation, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics

Research Interest Description:

Research in our group focuses on understanding the neural and biomechanical factors involved in the normal control of multi-joint movement and posture and how these factors are modified following neuromotor pathologies such as stroke and spinal cord injury. The goal of this research is to provide a scientific basis for understanding normal and pathological motor control that can be used to guide rehabilitative strategies and user interface development for restoring function to individuals with motor deficits. A combination of experimentation, system identification and computer simulations is being used to achieve this goal.

Heather Pinkett, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://pinkettlab.northwestern.edu/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Proteomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters work as molecular pumps to transport substrates across cellular membranes. Represented in all organisms, ABC proteins are divided into two classes (i) exporters that mediate the transport of unrelated substances across membranes and (ii) importers which function to allow nutrients into the cell. To date, 13 human diseases are linked to defective transporters, including the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenomenon. In order for us to combat the role these proteins play in diseases, deciphering the mechanism substrate specificity and the role of ATP in substrate translocation is of paramount importance. My laboratory is currently conducting research in three areas:

1. Transport mechanism. How do organisms utilize transporters to shuttle nutrients or toxins across membranes?
2. Host-pathogen interaction: How do pathogens utilize ABC transporters to circumvent the host innate immune defenses?
3. Classification of ABC transporters: What is the role of regulatory domains in the transport process?

Murali Prakriya, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/prakriya/Home.html

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroimmunology, Neuronal Cell Biology, Neuropharmacology, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Proteomics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Ca2+ is a ubiquitous intracellular signaling messenger regulating a wide range of functions including enzyme activation, gene expression, and neurotransmitter release. Cellular Ca2+ signals arise from the opening of Ca2+ permeable ion channels, a diverse family of membrane proteins. We study Ca2+ signals arising from store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs), a family of plasma membrane ion channels that are activated by a decrease in the calcium content of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an intracellular organelle that serves as a reservoir for storing calcium. Human patients with mutations in SOCs suffer from a devastating immunodeficiency, muscle weakness, and other abnormalities underscoring the vital importance of SOCs for human health. We study the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which SOCs are activated and the mechanisms by which they regulate gene expression, immune cell function, and neuronal and astrocyte functions including synaptic plasticity, astrocyte gliotransmitter release, and cytokine production.

Indira Raman, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Motor Control, Other

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics

Research Interest Description:

In the Raman lab, we study specializations of ion channels and synaptic physiology that permit cerebellar neurons—Purkinje neurons, granule cells, inhibitory interneurons, and output neurons of the cerebellar nuclei—to facilitate coordinated movements and correct errors in mice. Our in vitro experiments focus on properties of ionic currents, synaptic plasticity and modulation, and action potential generation. Our in vivo experiments focus on analyzing and manipulating neuronal firing patterns evoked by sensory input and motor commands during movements associated with tasks requiring the cerebellum. The two levels of analysis inform one another to gain an understanding of how biophysical properties constrain and generate specific cerebellar outputs that produce and modulate motor behavior.

Karen Ridge , PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Cognitive Neuroscience

Research Interest Description:

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Gabriel Rocklin, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: http://www.rocklinlab.org

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Other

Research Interest Description:

We develop high-throughput methods for protein biophysics and protein design, with a focus on protein therapeutics. Key questions include: How do protein sequence and structure determine folding stability, conformational dynamics, and resistance to aggregation/degradation-inducing stresses? Can we quantitatively predict these protein "phenotypes" from genotype (sequence) using computational modeling? How do we design protein therapeutics that optimize these phenotypes for a particular application? To answer these questions, we combine large-scale de novo computational protein design with high-throughput methods such as display selections, mass spectrometry proteomics, and next-generation sequencing, enabling us to test thousands of proteins in parallel. By combining these technologies, we seek to develop efficient "design-test-analyze" cycles, iterating our way to an improved, quantitative understanding of protein biophysics and more advanced protein therapeutics.

Luis Rosas-Vidal, MD, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Learning & Memory, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

We study the neural dynamics of stress and aversive learning, how these processes are modulated by the opioid system, and how they interact with the pursuit of rewards. More specifically, we use a myriad of techniques which include optogenetics, in vivo single cell calcium imaging, and pharmacological and genetic techniques in combination with multiple behavioral assays to explore the circuits involved in mediating stress and aversion, how these experiences are encoded at the neuronal level, how aversion is balanced with the pursuit of rewards, and how these processes are modulated by the opioid system.

Jason Sanchez, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://caplab.northwestern.edu/

Research Types: Neurodevelopment, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

Dr. Sanchez’s laboratory investigates the development of time-coding mechanisms in the auditory brainstem using electrophysiological and anatomical approaches. His primary interests are in synaptic transmission and ion channel function.

Smriti Sangwon, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/sangwan/

Research Types: Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics

Research Interest Description:

My lab is interested in understanding the molecular basis of protein folding. We use structural methods such as cryoEM to obtain high resolution information on the proteins that ensure homeostasis in cells. Our long term goal is to use the information for structure-guided drug design in neurodegenerative diseases where protein misfolding plays a critical role.

Jeffrey Savas, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://www.savaslab.com/

Research Types: Cognitive Neuroscience, Genetics and Epigenetics, Learning & Memory, Motor Control, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Savas joined the faculty of Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in 2015, where he is currently an Associate Professor of Neurology. His lab’s interests are generally focused on how protein mishandling contributes to synaptic dysfunction and aging. The lab is currently working to: (1) develop new tools to anatomize cell type specific synaptic proteomes, (2) determine the impact of extremely long-lived proteins in the brain and, (3) determine how proteins with hampered degradation contribute to synapse loss in AD.

Tiffany Schmidt, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: http://www.schmidtlab-northwestern.com

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

Our lab studies the role of light in behavior by linking the cellular function of cells within the retina to their downstream circuits in the brain and output behavior. To do this, we examine the role of RGC subtypes in specific visual functions. For example, the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which express the photopigment melanopsin, comprise five subtypes that drive a wide range of behaviors from circadian photoentrainment to contrast sensitivity for vision. The defined and quantitative behaviors in which these cells are involved and the myriad available genetic tools for the study of this system make it an ideal one in which to study the circuitry and role of ganglion cells in visual behavior. We do this using a range of techniques from electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, optogenetics, and behavioral approaches in various genetic mouse models.

Gregory Schwartz, PhD

Campus Location: Both

Website: http://schwartzlab.feinberg.northwestern.edu

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Neurobiology of Disease, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Circuit Tracing, Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Research in our lab focuses on the circuit mechanisms underlying sensory computation. We use the mouse retina as a model system because it allows us to stimulate the circuit precisely with its natural input, patterns of light, and record its natural output, the spike trains of retinal ganglion cells. We harness the power of genetic manipulations and detailed information about cell types to uncover new circuits and discover their role in visual processing. Our methods include electrophysiology, computational modeling, and circuit tracing, and behavior.

Steven Schwulst, MD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroimmunology

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

My laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms leading to long-term neurocognitive morbidity after trauma brain injury. We are an integrative life sciences laboratory drawing from immunology, neuroscience, molecular/cell biology, and computational biology. Our overarching aim is to identify genes/pathways/signatures that can be targeted therapeutically to improve long-term outcomes after traumatic brain injury. We are currently funded by multiple NIH grants and have medical students, graduate students, post doctoral fellows, and research technicians in the laboratory which is located in downtown Chicago adjacent to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Our primary model is in mice, but we have also done work with a ferret model and, most recently, have been collecting human samples to bring into the laboratory.

Richard Smith, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

We use genetic, molecular, and microscopy approaches to study how brains form and are affected by neurodevelopmental disease.

Geoff Swanson, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/GeoffreySwanson/index.html

Research Types: Learning & Memory, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuronal Cell Biology, Neuropharmacology

Faculty Technique: Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics

Research Interest Description:

We study the molecular and physiological properties of receptor proteins that underlie excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain. Current research focuses primarily on understanding the roles of kainate receptors, a family of glutamate receptors whose diverse physiological functions include modulation of neurotransmission and induction of synaptic plasticity. We are also interested in exploring how kainate receptors might contribute to pathological processes such as epilepsy, pain and neurodevelopmental disorders. The laboratory investigates receptor function using a diverse group of techniques that include patch-clamp electrophysiology, selective pharmacological compounds, molecular and cellular techniques, and gene-targeted mice.

Edwards Thorp, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://thorplab.com

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

Inflammation.

Iris Titos Vivancos, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Genetics and Epigenetics, Neurobiology of Disease, Neuroendocrinology, Neuronal Cell Biology

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Optogenetics and Chemogenetics, Quantitative Behavior, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Our behaviors are elicited by external stimuli as well as our internal state. Latter allows us to synchronize our actions with our needs, and we will forage more vigorously, and respond to food stimuli more vigorously when we’re hungry. Despite their importance, we still don’t fully understand how internal states arise and the signaling pathways regulating them. Historically, neuroscientists have focused on the brain when trying to understand internal states, but peripheral organs produce a repertoire of signals that influence behavioral decisions. We found signaling pathways through which the gut communicates nutritional status to the brain, changing the internal state of the animal and influencing sleep and amphetamine preference. Our laboratory aims to uncover peripheral signals that regulate internal state and behavior and investigate how those signals change neuronal properties giving rise to different internal states.

Matthew Tresch, PhD

Campus Location: Both

Research Types: Circuits and Behavior, Motor Control, Movement & Rehabilitation

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Electrophysiology and Biophysics, Quantitative Behavior

Research Interest Description:

We examine the neural control of movement, focusing on the role of spinal circuitry. We use an interdisciplinary approach in this research, using a combination of behavioral, biomechanical, and neurophysiological techniques.

Dileep Varma, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Research Types: Neuronal Cell Biology, Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Other

Research Interest Description:

Our lab is primarily focused on cell cycle, cell proliferation, and cancer. Within Neuroscience, we are interested in two broad areas. One of them is brain development. Specifically, we are interested to understand how defective asymmetrical cell division in the developing neocortex leads to brain developmental disorders such as Microcephaly. The 2nd area is neurodegeneration. Specifically, we are interested in understanding the mechanism of activation of microglial or astrocyte cell division in the context of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. We are also currently very keen to understand how protein phase separation and condensate formation could contribute to certain neurodegenerative conditions.

Lisandra Vila Ellis, MD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://www.vilaellislab.org/

Research Types: Other

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Gas diffusion in the mammalian lung takes place in the alveoli, where a thin epithelium is surrounded by a capillary network. Traditionally, these alveolar capillaries were considered homogeneous until Dr. Vila Ellis' postdoctoral research, which unveiled a novel population of endothelial cells in the mouse lung. Interestingly, the failure to form the alveolar capillary network correctly has been observed in various pulmonary diseases characterized by vascular simplification, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), commonly seen in premature births.
In the Vila Ellis Lab, our focus lies in investigating this newly discovered heterogeneity during development and disease. Our ultimate objective is to elucidate the transcriptional mechanisms underlying endothelial heterogeneity, endothelial cell fate, and the molecular and cellular components of lung angiogenesis. By doing so, we aim to provide crucial insights into fundamental biology questions.

Deborah Winter, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://winterlab.weebly.com

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

My lab uses genomic and computational approaches to study the gene regulatory network of macrophages across health and disease. We do both wet and dry lab experiments that range from basic to translational research. We work with mouse models and clinical samples from aging, autoimmune disease, and infections.

Gayle Woloschak, MD

Campus Location: Both

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/nura

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

We are currently studying radiation effects on the brain, particularly vascular development that is stimulated by low dose radiation exposure.

Jennifer Wu, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/jenniferwu/

Research Types: Neuroimmunology, Other

Faculty Technique: Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics

Research Interest Description:

We just began collaborations with neuroscience laboratories to study neurodegenerative diseases exploring a new aspect of disease mechanism and potential treatment, based on unexpected findings in our cancer immunology research.

Rendong Yang, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://ylab-hi.github.io/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

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Frances Yap, PhD

Campus Location: Chicago

Website: https://sites.northwestern.edu/yaplab/

Research Types: Genetics and Epigenetics, Other

Faculty Technique: Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy, Molecular Biology & Molecular Genetics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics

Research Interest Description:

Research in the Yap Laboratory focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of mRNA translation and the actions of ribosome-associated factors and ribosome-targeting antibiotics in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). For example, we investigate how the hibernation-promoting factor (Hpf) facilitates the formation of the translationally silent 100S complex (a dimer of 70S ribosomes) and how this complex protects ribosomes from ribonucleolytic degradation- a critical process for MRSA survival in vitro and persistent infection in vivo. Another aspect of our research examines how epitranscriptomic modifications of S. aureus ribosomes influence antibiotic resistance and protein synthesis. We employ a multi-pronged approach that integrates biochemical, biophysical, proteomic, genomic, and bacterial genetic tools to dissect these molecular processes. To assess staphylococcal pathogenesis, we use Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) larvae as the infection model. We have recently expanded our investigations to include Bacillus subtilis, a model Gram-positive bacterium, to study metabolic control of biofilm formation.

Hao F. Zhang, PhD

Campus Location: Evanston

Website: https://foil.northwestern.edu/

Research Types: Neurodevelopment, Neuronal Cell Biology, Sensory Systems

Faculty Technique: Computation and Modeling, Fluorescence Imaging & Microscopy

Research Interest Description:

Hao F. Zhang is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology (by courtesy) at Northwestern University. He and colleagues reported the first demonstration of photoacoustic microscopy (Nature Biotechnology 2006, Nature Protocols 2007, PNAS 2010, Nature Communications 2019), spectroscopic super-resolution imaging (Nature Communications 2016, PNAS 2016, Optica 2019, Light: Science and Applications 2020, Nanophotonics 2022), visible-light optical coherence tomography (Light: Science and Applications 2016, J. Neuroscience 2022, PNAS 2022). He received the NSF CAREER award and NIH Director’s Challenge Award in 2010, the NIH IMPACT award in 2015, the SPIE Translational Research Award in 2016, and the US National Academy of Sciences Cozzarelli Prize in 2017. He is a fellow of Optica and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. His research interests include optical coherence tomography, super-resolution imaging, ophthalmology and vision science, and genomics.