We develop and apply new imaging tools (including spatial transcriptomics and genomics) to understand how gene regulation information propagates across scales from the molecular events within the nucleus to the organization of cells into tissues and organs, up to the scale ef animal behavior.
Starting with the nervous system as a model system we are interested in how the sensory neurons regulate the receptor and signaling genes to specialize in both detecting all the different external cues and in transmitting the sensed information to stereotypical projections into the brain.
Current projects in the lab include identification of the molecular basis of Neuroregeneration, determining the role of the X chromosome in the 2:1 Gender Bias that exists with Alzheimers, and Identifying the Genetic and Anatomical mechanisms of Opioid induced Neuroplasticity.
