Current Lab Projects

Connecting the dots between brain structure, function, and behavior in rodents

The aim of this project is to develop novel neuroimaging techniques to investigate the consequences of the genetic mutation or pathological events in the brain networks that disturb higher order cognitive functions. Over the past decades, tremendous efforts have been made in mapping neural architecture at various scales, such as delineating white matter tracts by mesoscopic tracing of axonal projections, to the identification of cellular-level connections and the synaptic molecular properties. However, this technique relies on the assessment of a single brain, and thus quantitative assessment of neuronal reorganization in multiple sexes or between drug treatments remains a challenge. Hence, the broad goal of this study is to develop the MR-based non-invasive imaging frameworks that can be used to understand the causative link between brain structure, function and behavior longitudinally at finer scale.

Rescuing the alcohol dependent brains

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder, characterized by excessive alcohol drinking and loss of control over consumption, and has dramatic consequences for individuals’ health and productivity, their families, and society. Emerging studies suggest that at the neurobiological level, alcohol acts as a complex drug that modifies the activity of multiple molecular targets and triggers broad alterations of gene expression and synaptic plasticity. Excessive alcohol consumption is therefore associated with significant changes in brain morphology including degradation in white matter (WM) integrity that carries information between gray matter (GM) regions and modifying the neural networks responsible for reward, decision making, learning and memory. In this study, we aim to modulate the neural activity of the brain regions that are vulnerable to alcoholism and examine the effects on brain-wide functional and microstructural architectures using functional MRI, diffusion MRI, and microscopy in alcohol dependent mice. Subsequently, we will trace the potential pathways to rescue the alcohol dependent brains that can lead to therapeutic strategies.