What We Do
The brain is comprised of systems which operate at largely different scales; from molecular interactions at the synaptic level to regional activity patterns at the network level. We combine advanced imaging techniques to study the brain at different scales during sensory processing in combination with cellular and molecular techniques to probe signaling patterns and mechanisms in subtypes of cells and their contribution to brain function.
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Multi-scale imaging of hemodynamics in relation to brain activity.
Whereas techniques with single cell resolution are used to interrogate brain activity in animal models, in humans, imaging of brain activity is largely performed using macro to mesoscopic resolution techniques that in reality measure vascular and metabolic signals as indirect readouts of brain activity. By delineating the neuronal and synaptic underpinnings of the vascular signals which underlie human brain mapping, we aim to bridge animal and human studies. |
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Pericyte physiology in health and disease.
Pericytes are cells that line and wrap around capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the brain. They are important for maintaining the integrity of the blood brain barrier, blood vessel formation, and participate in blood flow control. Our lab uses two-photon imaging to study intracellular Ca2+ regulation and signalling pathways in pericytes. Video shows Ca2+ signals in a pericyte expressing a genetic indicator (GCaMP6f, left), along a capillary whose lumen is labeled with an intravenous dye (right) - black shadows are individual red blood cells. |
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Neuron-glia Interactions.
Understanding neuron-glial communication is critical to understanding neuro-vascular interactions and ultimately brain function. We are interested in understanding the dialogue between neurons and specific glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells) and how these cells affect neural circuit function. Video shows Ca2+ signals in fine processes of an astrocyte dialyzed with the Ca2+ indicator, Fluo-4. |
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Volume regulation in the brain.
Brain edema is the principal cause of death following stroke and traumatic brain injury, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We are interested in understanding the interplay between ionic changes in brain cells, cell swelling, and the mechanisms that ultimately drive water entry into the brain via vascular pathways. Video shows sodium increasing in cortical neurons undergoing a excitotoxic insult with 2-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging. |
