Neuroscience
Neuroscience research at the QCOM seeks to expand knowledge of the nervous system in all of its normal complexity and in the numerous disorders that occur when the nervous system is dysfunctional. Our neuroscience researchers seek to understand the genetic, epigenetic, environmental, developmental, cellular and biochemical bases of disorders of the nervous system.
Dr. Eric Beaumont
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My expertise in integrative neuroscience aimed at finding treatments and cures for
neurological disorders. My work has focused on long term neuronal plasticity, specifically
in the context of pathological injury within the central nervous system.
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Physiology
Dr. Patrick Bradshaw
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our lab focuses on the study of mitochondrial and redox dysfunction with aging and
neurodegeneration and metabolic therapies for the treatment of these conditions using
C. elegans as a model system.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Molecular Modeling, Neuroscience, Systems
Biology
Dr. Russell Brown
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Substance abuse comorbidity in preclinical models of Schizophrenia; Novel targets
for treatments of Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's Disease;
Behavioral Neuroscience
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Michelle Chandley
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuron and glia pathology of autism spectrum disorder, substance abuse and major depressive
disorder; Inflammatory effects on neuronal cell signaling
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Justin Gass
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The goal of my research laboratory is to examine the neural mechanisms that are
associated with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and co-occurring Post-traumatic stress
Disorder (PTSD). Additionally, we use novel techniques such as optogenetics, fiber
photometry, and telemetry to discover new therapeutic targets and develop treatment
compounds for these disorders.
Research Areas: Neuroscience; Cellular, Molecular and Chemical Biology
Dr. Theo Hagg
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroprotection and Neurogenesis after SCI and stroke
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Immunology,
Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Cuihong Jia
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroprotection and neuroregeneration following injury; Neuropsychiatric diseases
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Richard Kostrzewa
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Research entails use of highly selective neurotoxins to animal-model neural disorders,
by determining dopamine release and assessing receptor supersensitization
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Toxicology
Dr. Gregory Ordway
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Depression is a leading contributor to suicide, with the majority of suicides being
associated with depressive disorders. While antidepressants are effective in managing
depression in some patients, approximately 30% of patients do not get well even after
being treated with many different antidepressants. These poignant issues emphasize
the major importance of research in my laboratory to unearth the biological bases
of depressive behavior and to search for novel and more effective treatments for depressive
disorders.
Research Areas: Neuropsychopharmacology, Pathology, Psychiatric Neuroscience
Dr. Diego Rodriguez-Gil
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: 1. Cellular and molecular regulation of axon guidance. 2. Axon extension during
development and regeneration. 3. Mechanisms underlying the formation of topographic
maps in the nervous system. Research in my lab is focused on understanding the molecular
and cellular mechanisms underlying axon guidance and connectivity.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Molecular
Biology, Neuroscience
Dr. Brooke Schmeichel
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Principle areas of research in our laboratory center around the neurobiology and neurocircuitry
underlying alcohol and other substance use disorders and related comorbidities. Our
addiction research focuses on the contributions of stress system sensitization, reward
deficits, and sleep dysfunction to various states of dependence, including withdrawal
and relapse.
Research Areas: Behavioral neuroscience; neuropharmacology.
Dr. John B. Schweitzer
email
Department of Pathology
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neurotrophic factors, especially NGF and disease, axonal transport, brain trauma.
In collaboration with the Williams lab, inflammation and immunity in the brain and
elsewhere. In collaboration with the Hoover lab, NGF interaction with lymphocytes
in the periphery in inflammatory states. In collaboration with the Xie lab, development
of glioblastoma. Clinical interests: brain tumors, resident education
Research Areas: Neuropathology, neuroscience
Dr. Deling Yin
email
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroimmunology; Stress; Apoptosis, Cell death and opioids; Opiate receptors
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Dr. Meng-Yang Zhu
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Effects of DNA damage in the mental diseases; Transcriptional regulation of the
noradrenergic and dopaminergic phenotypes by transcriptional factors; Possible involvement
of oxidative DNA damage in the noradrenergic and dopaminergic circuits during aging
and neurodegenerative diseases.
Research Areas: Cellular and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology