Neurosciences

Shiming Chen, PhD
Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor
- Email: chenshiming@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Neurosciences
Research summary
Molecular mechanisms regulating photoreceptor gene expression in healthy and diseased retinas
Key words
Gene expression regulation, transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, photoreceptor development and degeneration, mouse models, gene therapy

Yao Chen, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: yaochen@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Understanding the function of neuromodulators and sleep through the spatiotemporal dynamics of molecular signals
Key words
neuromodulator, sleep, dynamics, sensors, actuators, signaling, G protein coupled receptors, imaging, microscopy, learning, plasticity, engineering

Wayland Cheng, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: wayland.cheng@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
I am interested in the structure and function of neuronal ligand-gated ion channels, and the mechanism of channel modulation by endogenous lipids or exogenous drugs such as general anesthetics.
Key words

ShiNung Ching, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: shinung@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
The interface between systems and control engineering, neuroscience and neural medicine
Key words
Control of neural dynamics; Biophysical modeling of multiscale brain networks;

John Cirrito, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: cirritoj@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Relationship between synaptic activtity and amyloid-beta metabolism in Alzheimer`s disease
Key words
Alzheimer’s disease, drug and target discovery, endocytosis, in vivo microdialysis, synaptic transmission


Marco Colonna, MD
Robert Rock Belliveau MD Professor
- Email: mcolonna@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Neurosciences
Research summary
Innate immune responses in infections, autoimmunity and tumors
Key words
immunology, inflammation, dendritic cells, lymphocytes, receptors, virus, gut, mucosa

Jonathan Cooper, PhD
Professor
- Email: cooperjd@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Disease mechanisms and treatments for inherited childhood neurodegeneration
Key words
Batten Disease, Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, NCL, Lysosomal Storage Disease, pathogenesis, pre-clinical therapies, enzyme replacement, gene therapy

Bryan Copits, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: bcopits@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Research summary
We study how different types of neurons encoding somatosensory modalities are assembled into functional circuits in both humans and model organisms.
Key words
pain, optogenetics, imaging, electrophysiology

Joseph Corbo, MD, PhD
Professor
- Email: jcorbo@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Neurosciences
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
(1) transcriptional networks in the retina; (2) the mechanistic basis of color vision; (3) the cis-regulatory basis of human uniqueness and neuropsychiatric disease
Key words
neurobiology, genomics, transcriptional networks, systems biology, photoreceptors, brain, neuropsychiatric disease, disease, cis-regulation