Lee, Darrin Jason
The focus of my laboratory is to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential of neuromodulation for cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Specifically, we utilize multiple depth electrode local field potential recordings and functional ultrasound imaging to evaluate simultaneous electrophysiology, cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity in these disorders. Using these tools, our goal is to better understand the underlying pathophysiology and optimize our neuromodulation strategies. Our aim is to translate our preclinical findings into clinically relevant neuromodulation treatments. My clinical research is focused on evaluating potential new indications and targets for neuromodulation, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), spinal cord stimulation and focused ultrasound.
Lepore, Natasha
Associate Professor of Research Radiology
My lab, the Computational Imaging of Brain Organization Research Group (CIBORG), focuses on developing advanced numerical methods to study brain anatomy and function using magnetic resonance imaging. Our work aims to deepen understanding of typical and atypical brain development, across both high- and low-resource settings. In parallel, we are creating software tools to support clinicians by providing quantitative assessments of medical images to enhance clinical decision-making.
Liew, Sook-Lei
Associate Professor of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
The overall mission of the laboratory is to enhance neural plasticity in a wide population of individuals in order to improve their quality of life and engagement in meaningful activities. We particularly focus on individuals with stroke using big data neuroimaging approaches, along with noninvasive brain stimulation and brain computer interfaces.
Mack, William
Professor of Neurological Surgery (Clinical Scholar)
Dr. Mack is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Cerebrovascular Laboratory in the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute. His overarching academic goal is to examine the effects of inflammation in experimental models of cerebrovascular disease.
Mather, Mara
Professor of Gerontology, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering
The autonomic nervous system plays an underappreciated role in age-related change in the brain and cognition. But the sympathetic hub region in the brain (the locus coeruleus) is one of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease pathology and deep sleep, a period of high parasympathetic activity, is critical for clearing out the potentially toxic proteins generated by the brain’s activity during the day (it is the aggregation of such proteins that leads to the hallmark plaques and tangles seen in Alzheimer’s disease). Our research is investigating how both sympathetic and parasympathetic function affect brain function and cognition in aging and how interventions that increase parasympathetic activity may enhance brain function in older adults.
