Synapses, Cells, and Circuits
The Synapses, Cells, and Circuits FAR focuses on how the nervous system works by linking physiological mechanisms at the synaptic, cellular and circuit levels. Ultimately these efforts seek to understand in detail how synaptic function and plasticity, properties intrinsic to individual neurons, and microcircuit function converge to process information in different brain areas. Over the past decades neuroscience has elucidated basic principles underlying neuronal excitability and synaptic function. There also is increasingly accurate specification of the brain regions involved in particular behaviors through neuroimaging. However, due to technical challenges, relatively little research links these critical physiological levels. Bridging this gap will require the next generation of scientists to have expertise in neuronal cell biology, synaptic physiology, genetic approaches, and modern optical techniques. Given the breadth of neuroscience expertise at UCLA, this FAR is ideally positioned to lead research and training in this field.
List of Faculty:
| Abderemane-Ali, Fayal | Ion channel macromolecular complexes in neuronal and cardiac channelopathies |
| Adhikari, Avishek | Neural control of emotional behaviors, with a focus on fear and anxiety |
| Ajijola, Olujimi A. | Cardiac Neurobiology, Neuroplasticity after cardiac injury, Neural Control of Cardiopulmonary Function |
| Akin, Orkun | Role of neural activity in brain development and synapse formation |
| Arac, Ahmet | Mechanisms of motor behavior and neural activity relationship |
| Arnold, Arthur | Sexual Differentiation of the Brain |
| Barnes, Steven A. | Ion Channel Biophysics in the Retina: Vision, Neurons, Circuits and Metabolism |
| Bhaduri, Aparna | Regulation of cell fate specification in normal human cortical development and glioblastoma, using single-cell approaches and cortical organoid models. |
| Bisley, James | Cognitive Processing of Visual Information; Guidance of Eye Movements |
| Blair, Hugh Tad | Learning and Memory; Neural Computation |
| Brecha, Nicholas | Neurochemical Pathways in the Vertebrate Retina |
| Buonomano, Dean | Neural Dynamics: Neural Basis of Learning and Temporal Processing |
| Butler, Samantha | Generating and regenerating neural circuitry in the spinal cord |
| Cahill, Catherine | Chronic pain and opioid addiction |
| Chandler, Scott | Neuronal Mechanisms Controlling Jaw Movement |
| Charles, Andrew | Cellular and pharmacological mechanisms of migraine and pain |
| Churchland, Anne | Sensory perception and decision-making. |
| Coley, Austin | Neural populations and circuits involved in stress and depression behaviors |
| Colwell, Christopher | Neural Control of Behavior, Circadian Rhythms |
| Correa, Stephanie | Neural control of energy homeostasis, estrogen signaling, neuroendocrinology |
| Daboussi, Lydia | Mechanisms of Plasticity for Neural Repair |
| De Biase, Lindsay | Influence of microglial cells on normal and pathological circuit function |
| de la Torre-Ubieta, Luis | Mechanisms of human neocortical development and neuropsychiatric disease using neural stem cell models and bioinformatic approaches. |
| Demer, Joseph | Ocular Motor System, Vestibular System |
| DeNardo, Laura | Assembly and function of neural circuits underlying adaptive behaviors |
| Dong, Hong Wei | Construction of the whole mouse brain wiring diagram |
| Donlea, Jeffrey M. | Sleep regulation, learning and memory |
| Edgerton, V. Reggie | Neural Control of Movement and Neuromuscular Plasticity |
| Engel Jr., Jerome | Neurobiology of Epilepsy |
| Feldman, Jack | Properties of Neurons Resulting in Behavior |
| Field, Greg | Systems neuroscience, visual processing, retinal neurophysiology, neural degeneration |
| Frye, Mark | Cross-Modal Sensory Fusion and Sensory-Motor Integration |
| Glanzman, David | Neurobiology of Learning and Memory |
| Golshani, Peyman | Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Epilepsies |
| Gorin, Michael | Molecular Genetics and Mechanisms of Retinal Disorders |
| Hallem, Elissa | Olfactory Behavior in Free-living and Parasitic Nematodes |
| Harper, Ronald | Neural Mechanisms in Sleep State |
| Hong, Weizhe | Neural Mechanisms of Social Behavior |
| Houser, Carolyn | Morphological Organization and Plasticity of the GABA System; Neurochemical Anatomy of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy |
| Hsiao, Elaine | Neurobiology of disease, neuroimmunology, microbiome-nervous system interactions |
| Huk, Alex | Neural computations underlying vision, cognition, and action |
| Kao, Jonathan | Computational systems neuroscience and neural engineering |
| Khakh, Baljit | Ion Channels, Glia and Synapses |
| Krantz, David | Using Drosophila to Study Neurotransmitter Transport, Synaptic Transmission, Behavior and Disease |
| Kumar, Rajesh | Neural control of autonomic, breathing, and cognitive functions. |
| Leitch, Duncan | Sensory system function, physiology, and behavior in diverse animal models |
| Levine, Michael | Neurophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Neurodegenerative Disorders |
| MacKenzie-Graham, Allan | Understanding and preventing neurodegeneration |
| Martin, Kelsey | Cell Biology of Learning-related Synaptic Plasticity |
| Massaly, Nicolas | Neurocircuits underlying pain affect, rewarding and aversive properties of stimuli, and substance use disorders |
| Mathews, Paul | Mechanisms of learning and memory, motor coordination |
| Mayer, Emeran | Neurobiology of Stress, Pain and Emotion |
| Mehta, Mayank | Computational and Systems Neuroscience, Learning and Memory, Sleep, Neural Oscillations, Neural Coding |
| Metzner, Walter | Behavioral Neuroscience (Neuroethology) |
| Micevych, Paul | Reproductive Neuroendocrinology, Neuroprotection, Pain |
| Mody, Istvan | Synaptic Signaling in Health and Disease |
| Narins, Peter | Auditory Neurophysiology, Mechanics and Behavior |
| Novitch, Bennett | Regulation of Stem and Progenitor Cell Specification and Differentiation in the Vertebrate Central Nervous System |
| O'Dell, Thomas | Synaptic and Molecular Mechanisms in Learning and Memory Formation |
| Olcese, Riccardo | Molecular Physiology of Ion Channels |
| Papazian, Diane | Voltage Gated K Channels: Functional Mechanisms and Role in Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration |
| Peng, Yi-Rong | Genetic Dissection of Retinal Circuits |
| Piri, Natik | Retinal Ganglion Cells and Optic Neuropathies |
| Poe, Gina | Investigating the mechanisms by which sleep traits serve learning and memory consolidation |
| Portera-Cailliau, Carlos | Imaging the Assembly and Plasticity of Cortical Circuits with Two Photon Microscopy |
| Ringach, Dario | Visual Neurophysiology and Perception |
| Sagasti, Alvaro | Development of Complex Cell Shapes in Zebrafish Touch-Sensing Neurons |
| Samarasinghe, Ranmal | Neural network formation and dysfunction in epilepsy and autism; stem cell models; brain organoids |
| Sampath, Alapakkam | Retinal Physiology and Visual Performance |
| Schlinger, Barney | Steroid Synthesis and Action in the Vertebrate CNS |
| Schweizer, Felix | Molecular Mechanisms and Regulation of Synaptic Transmission |
| Shah, Pavak | Synaptogenesis, circuit assembly and the cellular basis of neural dynamics. |
| Shivkumar, Kalyanam | Catheter Ablation of Cardiac Arrhythmias, Autonomic Regulation of Myocardial Excitability |
| Siegel, Jerome | Sleep, Motor Control |
| Silva, Alcino | Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Learning and Memory |
| Spigelman, Igor | Neuropharmacology |
| Sternini, Catia | The “Brain in the Gut” and Taste Receptors |
| Trachtenberg, Joshua | Understanding Cortical Plasticity from Synapses to Circuits |
| White, Stephanie | Social Influences on Learning and Memory |
| Wilke, Scott | Role of prefrontal cortex circuits in adaptive and maladaptive decision making |
| Yang, Xian-Jie | Development and Diseases of the Vertebrate Neural Retina |
| Zhang, Chuchu | Neural mechanisms of internal sensations i.e. how we feel inside our body, with a focus on the molecular and circuit mechanisms of nausea. |
| Zhang, Ye | Glia biology in health and disease |
| Zhou, Z. Hong | Studies structures of synaptic receptors, neuronal infections and neurodegenerative diseases by cryo electron microscopy (cryoEM). |
| Zipursky, Larry S. | Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Neuronal Circuit Assembly |