The Neurobiology concentration...

I direct the undergraduate program in Neurobiology. This year we are undergoing a program review to ensure we continue to bring state-of-the-art teaching and training to our students.

I am also an academic advisor for the Neurobiology program. All students - past, present, and future - are welcome to drop by my office to discuss the Neuro concentration: courses, research opportunities, going abroad, careers, or just to say hello.

[website]

2011-12: Neuro 101 - Development of Synaptic Connectivity. [syllabus || website]
Junior year advanced tutorial on brain development. We focus on understanding how the precise wiring of the nervous system is formed. The course explores the organization of different parts of the brain and looks for conserved principles of development across the nervous system.

2012-13: MCB 115: Molecular & Cellular Neurophysiology. [syllabus || website]
Upper-level lecture course on molecular and cellular function of neurons. This includes biophysics, molecular biology, and simple computations from model circuits.

2013-14: LS100r - Research Methods in Neurobiology (lab). [syllabus || website]
Neurobiology laboratory course using electrophysiological methods (extra and intraceullar/patch clamp recordings, as well as calcium imaging and optogenetics to study neuronal differrentiation and cell-type development.

2015-17: MCB 148 - The Neurobiology of Pain. [syllabus || website]
Upper-level lecture course exploring the neurobiological systems and mechanisms underlying both acute and chronic pain.

Biochemistry: Penn State University 1998-2003
As an undergraduate I studied a family of transporter ATPase proteins involved in the regulation of the lipid bilayer composition (Tang et al, 2000). One of these proteins was thought to be linked to the neurological disorders associated with Angleman's and Prater-Willi's syndromes.

Molecular Neurobiology: Max-Planck-Institute 2003-2004
After graduation, I spent a year in Germany as a Fulbright scholar, where I studied the molecular basis of learning and memory. I conducted research on how AMPA ion channel-receptors are regulated to affect information flow in the brain (Schmitt et al, 2005). There I began to appreciate how little is known about the behavior of cells in the process of learning.

Developmental Neurobiology: Harvard University 2004-2010
My PhD research focused on how the synaptic circuitry of the nervous system develops and is refined - using imaging techniques, physiology, and molecular genetics to observe cellular changes during early life (2007, 2009, 2013, 2015).

Olfactory Behavior: Harvard University
I currently investigate the olfactory behavior of Camponotus Pennsylvanicus. This project focuses on imaging, analyzing, and modeling antennae dynamics during odor tracking to understand the key inputs and timescales for olfactory processing and decision making.