My primary research interest is on the glutamate receptor-mediated neuroplasticity in the striatum in mental disorders, including alcoholism and drug addiction and neurodegenerative diseases. Combining whole-cell patch clamp recordings and in vivo / in vitro chemogenetics / optogenetics in animal models, such as drug self-administration model in rats / mice and transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, the neuroadaptations of striatal medium-sized spiny neurons as well as striatal interneurons are explored in specific neural circuits at both cellular and synaptic levels.

Lili Shan

Yixiao Luo

Eva Galaj

Olivia l.
Martin 

Graduate Student