Boato, Francesco
The Functional Repair and Axonogenesis (FRA) lab investigates how the central nervous system (CNS) is wired during development and how these pathways can be reactivated and modulated to promote repair after injury, particularly in the spinal cord and optic nerve. We study growth pathways, axon guidance cues, and neuron-glia interactions that shape connectivity in the CNS. By combining genetic, molecular, behavioral and advanced imaging approaches, we examine neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and responses to injury. Our goal is to uncover fundamental mechanisms that can be leveraged to drive regeneration, circuit formation and functional recovery in neurological disorders. Trainees will join a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment and will gain experience at the interface of developmental neurobiology and CNS regeneration.
Cardenas-Iniguez, Carlos
Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez (pronouns he/him/his) is the Director of the Context, Complexity, and Impact (CCI) Lab, where his research focuses on using large-cohort datasets, such as the ABCD Study, to explore how social stratification shapes the environments in which people live and, in turn, how these environments affect neural and cognitive development and mental health. Dr. Cardenas-Iniguez is also involved with the Geospatial Hub of the Network for Exposomics in the US (NEXUS) Coordinating Center, where he leads efforts to develop consensus-based metadata standards for environmental exposures in human exposome research. His broader work emphasizes integrating environmental and social responsibility into neuroscience and psychology, including applying critical methodologies to illuminate the role of systemic forces in shaping developmental outcomes.
Chen, George
The Chen Lab at Children's Hospital Los Angeles integrates functional genomics, bioinformatics, and basic neuroscience to advance our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorder pathogenesis and to accelerate treatment development.
Kircanski, Katharina
The Multi-method Emotion Science and Outreach (MESO) Lab integrates affective and cognitive neuroscience, clinical science, and quantitative methods to study mechanisms of mood and anxiety disorders. We are particularly interested in parsing shared vs. specific mechanisms of symptoms that manifest across childhood and adolescence. Our research utilizes a multi-modal approach that includes fMRI, behavioral paradigms, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA).
Matho, Katherine
How do developmental and genetic programs build brain circuits for complex behavior? My lab investigates this question by integrating developmental neuroscience, molecular genetics, and multi-scale circuit mapping to study cortical sensorimotor circuits underlying goal-directed actions and perception. Using interdisciplinary approaches, such as gene knockin mouse lines and single cell profiling, we examine how neuronal identity and connectivity emerge during development. Our goal is to uncover the molecular and developmental logic of circuit assembly in neurotypical development and how the key building blocks that make up the circuits—cell types—are disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders. We hypothesize that a temporal patterning program during pregnancy specifies neuron subtype and wiring, shaping sensorimotor function in the mature brain.
