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Vanderbilt Brain Institute

VBI Training Faculty

Training

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Sarah K. Bick, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

My lab uses neurophysiology techniques in human subjects to study neural signaling underlying cognitive and psychiatric processes with the ultimate goal of developing novel neuromodulation therapies.

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Derek Archer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology
Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center
Vanderbilt Genetics Institute

Dr. Archer is a neuroscientist and an Assistant Professor at the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center. His research focuses on the intersection of neuroimaging and computational genetics, with the goal being to understand which genetic factors influence white matter microstructural decline in neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). Dr. Archer’s team uses statistical harmonization techniques to conduct large-scale studies of existing diffusion MRI datasets. In addition to pairing neuroimaging and genetic data, he is interested in investigating how white matter microstructural decline is associated with a variety of biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease, including cognitive decline, cerebrospinal fluid markers, and neuropathological measures of disease.

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Malcolm J. Avison, Ph.D.

Professor of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Professor of Pharmacology

The Development and Application of Novel Imaging Methods for the Study of Central Nervous System (CNS) Development and Function in Health and Disease

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Julio E. Ayala, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophyics

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André Bastos, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Psychology

How is it that we attend to important stimuli in our environment? How is it that we filter out familiar and predictable aspects of our environment but quickly become aware of unexpected stimuli? How do we keep information “in mind” and manipulate and control our own thoughts and actions? These (Attention, Predictive Processing, and Working Memory, respectively) are powerful examples of cognition. The mission of the Bastos Lab is to understand their neuronal basis.

Cognition emerges as an interaction between top-down and bottom-up processing.  Bottom-up processing carries sensory information about stimuli in the environment, such as color, form, shape, and contrast in vision. Top-down processing represents our internal thoughts, goals, attention, and predictions.

Bottom-up and top-down processing take place over a number of both cortical and subcortical processing stages. They involve computations within each processing stage and the neuronal communication that takes place between stages. Therefore, to understand these processing streams and how they are integrated, we need to understand the brain holistically. This involves recording neural activity in multiple brain regions simultaneously. Then we can understand how many interacting parts (neurons within brain areas) can give rise to emergent, network-level phenomenon (cognition and consciousness).

Deficits in Predictive Processing, Attention, and Working Memory are at the core of many brain disorders. For example, autism spectrum disorders can be understood as a condition in which the brain operates with faulty predictions of social interaction. Every social interaction becomes “surprising” and thus overwhelming. Schizophrenia can be understood as a brain disorder where overly tight predictive models overrule sensory inputs, generating hallucinations. For these reasons, it is imperative that we gain a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms by which cognition works in the brain. These insights will ultimately translate into a better understanding of human nature as well as novel treatments for these and other brain disorders.

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Jennifer "Piper" E Below, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Medicine (Genetic Medicine)

Developing and applying computational methodologies to further our understanding of the genetic basis of human disease. Specifically, I focus on development of novel strategies for identifying and confirming genetic risk factors to complex traits including cardiometabolic and neurocognitive traits such as Alzheimer’s disease, delayed language disorders, developmental stuttering via ascertainment of dense genetic (specifically, whole genome/exome sequenced and whole genome imputed datasets) and phenotypic data.

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James W. Bodfish, Ph.D.

Professor & Vice Chair for Research, Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Pathogenesis & Treatment of Autism; Drug Development in Autism; Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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James R. Booth, Ph.D.

Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor, Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College

We are broadly interested in how the brain changes over development and learning, and in individual differences (including disability) in brain organization

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Kendal S. Broadie, Ph.D.

Stevenson Professor, Neurobiology

Nervous System Development, Including Neuronal Pathfinding, Target Recognition and Synaptogenesis

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Erin S. Calipari, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research
Associate Professor, Pharmacology
Associate Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Our research seeks to characterize and modulate the precise circuits in the brain that underlie both adaptive and maladaptive processes in reward, motivation, and associative learning, to develop improved treatments for psychiatric disorders.

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David J. Calkins, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Director, Vanderbilt Vision Research Center
Vice-Chairman and Director of Research, Vanderbilt Eye Institute
Denis M. O'Day Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
Professor of Psychology
Professor of Pharmacology

Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration and Molecular Architecture of Visual Pathways in Health and Disease

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Robert Carson, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurology

Determining signaling mechanisms which when abnormal, lead to neurodevelopmental defects, epilepsy, white-matter disorders, and autism.

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Bruce Carter, Ph.D.

Associate Director for Education and Training, Vanderbilt Brain Institute
Director of Graduate Studies in Neuroscience
Professor of Biochemistry

Development of the peripheral nervous system; mechanisms of neurotrophin signaling, neuronal apoptosis, corpse clearance and glial-neuron interactions.

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Carissa J. Cascio, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Neural basis of sensory processing differences in children and adults with autism using a combination of sensory testing and neuroimaging to investigate how different kinds of sensory processing are disrupted in autism, and what role that disruption may play in the core features of autism such as decreased socialization, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors

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Kenneth C. Catania, Ph.D.

Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences

The Neurobiology and Behavior of Mammals, Specifically Pertaining the Organization and Function of Mammalian Sensory Systems

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Catie Chang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

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Dane Michael Chetkovich, M.D., PH.D.

Chair, Department of Neurology
Margaret and John Warner Professor and Chair, Neurological Education

My research interests are dedicated to understanding basic mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disease and applying that knowledge to develop new treatments. To these ends, I am concentrating on understanding the structure, function and physiological role of the hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel, a voltage gated ion channel that plays a critical role in controlling neuronal excitability in the brain.

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Daniel Claassen, M.D., M.S.

Division Chief of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology / Neurology
Professor of Neurology

Brain-behavior relationships and biomarker identification using multimodal neuroimaging, biofluid analysis, and cognitive testing in patients with neurodegenerative disorders

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Roger J. Colbran, Ph.D.

Louise B. McGavock Chair
Vice Chair & Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Director, Postdoctoral Training Program in Functional Neurogenomics

The regulation and roles of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)

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Christos Constantinidis, Ph.D.

Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Dr. Constantinidis investigates how neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex gives rise to cognitive functions. This question is addressed through neurophysiological recordings, imaging, deep brain stimulation, and computational analysis, using primarily non-human primate models.

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Blythe A. Corbett, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Examination of the Biobehavioral Profiles of Autism to Better Understand Factors That Enhance or Diminish the Response to Social and Nonsocial Stress

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Nancy J. Cox, Ph.D.

Director, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute
Director, Division of Genetic Medicine
Mary Phillips Edmonds Gray Professor of Genetics

Nancy Cox is a quantitative human geneticist with a long-standing research program in identifying and characterizing the genetic component to common human diseases; current research is focused on large-scale integration of genomic with other “-omics” data as well as biobank and electronic medical records data.

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Laurie E. Cutting, Ph.D.

Professor of Special Education
Professor of Psychology
Professor of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Professor of Pediatrics
Patricia and Rodes Hart Endowed Chair
Associate Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Understanding brain-behavior relations as related to learning and communication in children and adolescents

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Ryan Darby, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Neurology

Network Neuroimaging and behavioral testing in patients with delusions, hallucinations, and criminal behavior due to dementia

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Eric J. Delpire, Ph.D.

Professor of Anesthesiology
Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Molecular Physiology of CNS and PNS Cation-Chloride Cotransporters

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Ariel Y. Deutch, Ph.D.

James G. Blakemore Chair of Psychiatry
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Pharmacology

Dopamine and its Role in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

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Manus J. Donahue, MBA, Ph.D.

Professor and Assistant Vice Chair of Research, Department of Neurology
Director, Center for Imaging and Biomarker Development

Imaging biomarker development and clinical trials

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Prashant Donthamsetti, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology

Dr. Donthamsetti develops cutting-edge molecular tools to uncover the complex interplay between neural signaling and behavior in health and disease. His laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach that spans molecular biology, high-throughput screening, microscopy, electrophysiology, and rodent studies. His work focuses on uncovering the role of neuronal G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) using highly precise pharmacological techniques and optical biosensors that are developed in-house. In particular, his work has enabled us to target dopamine and glutamate receptors in the brain with unprecedented cellular and spatiotemporal precision, which could enhance our understanding of neurological disorders such as addiction, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease.

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Melissa C Duff, Ph.D.

Professor and Associate Vice Chair for Research, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Director, Communication and Memory Laboratory
Director, Vanderbilt Brain Injury Patient Registry

Examination of the role of hippocampal-dependent memory in language and social interaction and in long-term outcome following acquired brain injury

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Laura L. Dugan, M.D.

Abram C. Shmerling Professor of Alzheimer’s and Geriatric Medicine
Professor, Medicine

Dr. Dugan has clinical expertise in neurodegenerative diseases and evaluates patients in the Division of Geriatric Medicine. Dr. Dugan’s research interests focus on neuronal injury and the role inflammation may play in brain aging and neurodegeneration.

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Elisabeth M. Dykens, Ph.D.

Professor, Psychology & Human Development
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor, Pediatrics

Development and Correlates of Psychopathology and Behavioral Problems in Prader-Willi Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, and Down Syndrome

Not accepting new graduate students for Fall 2024

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John G. Eley, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
Program Director, Medical Physics
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology

Our lab focuses on the design and preclinical testing of experimental radiation treatment strategies that aim to reduce the severity of neurologic side effects for brain-cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy

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Ronald (Ron) Emeson, Ph.D.

Professor, Pharmacology
Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Joel G. Hardman Chair in Pharmacology
Chair, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Associate Director, Vanderbilt Brain Institute

The research interests of our laboratory focus on the cellular and molec­ular processes under­ly­ing neuronal com­mun­i­ca­tion in nor­mal and patho­phys­i­o­log­ic disease states. Spe­cif­ically, we are examining the molecular mechanisms involved in the editing of RNA transcripts encoding proteins critical for mammalian nervous system function. RNA edit­ing is a post-transcriptional modification in which specific adenosine residues in pre-mes­senger RNAs are converted to inosine (A-to-I editing) by double-strand­ed RNA-spe­cif­ic adeno­sine deaminases (ADARs). As a result of these deamina­tion events, the cod­ing poten­tial of RNAs can be subtly altered to change as little as a single amino acid residue in resultant products to generate protein isoforms with distinct functional proper­ties.

Programmable alterations of nucleic acid sequence offer significant therapeutic potential for a wide range of genetic disorders. In recent years, the RNA molecule has become one of the most promising targets for ther­apeutic inter­ven­tion and many RNA-based therapeutics have been developed recently. Despite the promise of CRISPR/Cas9-based ap­proach­es for the editing of genomic DNA, this paradigm has numerous disadvantages, including off-target and imprecise modifications, as well as a low efficiency rate in post-mitotic cell types such as neurons.

Our current research efforts focus upon an altern­ative approach for tar­get­ed gen­ome en­gin­­eer­ing using cellular processes norm­­al­ly in­volv­ed in the A-to-I editing of RNA tran­scripts. These studies involve the development of a systematic pipeline for the selection of ADAR-recruiting RNAs (arRNAs) that will promote efficient, site-selective adenosine deamination to repair common mutations associated with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease and Rett Syndrome. It is anticipated that these studies will allow the pre-clinical development of therapeutic arRNAs for the  repair of numerous genomic variants leading to disease in human­ized mouse models and affected pati­ents.

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Dario J. Englot, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Neurological Surgery
Associate Professor, Neurology
Associate Professor, Radiology and Radiological Sciences
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Director of Functional Neurosurgery and Surgical Epilepsy

Our laboratory integrates human neuroimaging and electrophysiology techniques to study brain networks in both neurological diseases and normal brain states.

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Kevin C. Ess, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurology
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
Gerald M. Fenichel Chair in Neurology, Department of Pediatrics

Mechanisms of cortical development using mouse models and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPCs)

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Sabine Fuhrmann, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Regulation of eye development and regeneration

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Martin J. Gallagher, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurology

Molecular, synaptic, and network changes in genetic models of human epilepsy syndromes

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Vivian Gama, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology
Associate Dean, Equity and Inclusive Mentoring

Broad questions of how mitochondrial structure and apoptosis execution programs are coordinated to regulate cell fate, guide my laboratory research program. Our preliminary studies suggest an emerging landscape in which mitochondrial-related proteins do not only function under stress conditions, but also have critical functions in regulating self-renewal and pluripotency, through the modulation of organelle dynamics, cell division and metabolism. We combine our expertise in mitochondrial and stem cell biology with state-of-the-art approaches to reveal novel factors modulating stem cell identity and commitment.

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Isabel Gauthier, Ph.D.

David K. Wilson Chair of Psychology
Associate Chair, Department of Psychology
Professor, Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Face and Object Recognition, Brain-Lesion Studies, and Visual Perception using Functional Imaging (fMRI)

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Rene H. Gifford, Ph.D.

Professor of Hearing and Speech
Professor of Otolaryngology
Director, Cochlear Implant Program, Division of Audiology

Basic auditory function, spatial hearing, and speech perception with combined electric and acoustic hearing in adults and children with cochlear implants and hearing aids

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Reyna L. Gordon, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Director, Music Cognition Lab
Associate Director, Program for Music, Mind & Society at Vanderbilt

The role of rhythm in language development using behavioral, EEG, and genomic methods

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John C. Gore, Ph.D.

University Distinguished Professor
Hertha Ramsey Cress in Medicine
Professor of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Director, Vanderbilt University Institute for Imaging Science

Development and applications of imaging techniques for In-vivo studies of brain and spine

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Todd R. Graham, Ph.D.

Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Molecular mechanisms controlling the organization and composition of membranes important for vesicular transport and neuronal function

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Brad A. Grueter, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

Functional Organization of Reward Circuits and Mechanisms Underlying Motivational Learning

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Eugenia V. Gurevich, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology

My lab is studying fascinating proteins – G proteins-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) and arrestins – and their role in regulating responsiveness of neurotransmitter receptors in the brain of living animals. We are interested in the role of arrestins and GRKs in shaping acute signaling responses, but we particularly want to understand how these proteins are involved in long-term neural plasticity. Arrestins and GRKs are an important part of a regulatory system designed to adjust the receptor responsiveness to changing demands.

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Troy A. Hackett, Ph.D.

Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences
Associate Professor of Psychology

Transcriptomic profiling and cellular phenotyping of the auditory system.

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Heidi E. Hamm, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology
Aileen M. Lange & Annie Mary Lyle Professor in Cardiovascular Research

The Structure, Function and Interactions of G-Protein Coupled Receptors; Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction; Vascular Biology

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Fiona E. Harrison, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism
Director, Vanderbilt Mouse Neurobehavioral Core

The roles of vitamin C in neuroprotection, neuromodulation and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and other models of cognitive decline

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Antonis Hatzopoulos, Ph.D., FAHA

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiovasular Medicine
Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Our laboratory currently investigates the mechanisms of cardiac cell specification during embryonic stem cell differentiation and the biology of progenitor cells after ischemic injury in the adult heart. We found that canonical wnt signaling is activated during scar formation and is a critical pathway in the activation of endothelial cells and myofibroblasts after experimental myocardial infarction. We have recently discovered that the BMP antagonist PRDC is an integral component of the regulatory network that fine tunes both Bmp4 expression and signaling activity during heart development, providing novel insights into the molecular basis of congenital cardiac defects. We currently investigate the role of PRDC in cardiac repair after ischemic injury.

Our laboratory is a member of the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN) and the Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium (PCBC).

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Stephan H. W. Heckers, M.D.

Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
William P. and Henry B. Test Chair in Schizophrenia Research
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Psychology
Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Schizophrenia; Bipolar Disorder; Neuroimaging; Neuroanatomy

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Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Psychology snd Biological Sciences

Prof. Herculano-Houzel studies brain diversity at the intersection of development, evolution, physiology, energetics, sleep, aging and longevity. Her research currently focuses on the consequences of supply-limited brain metabolism for the putative limitation of lifespan by the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex.

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Kari Hoffman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Psychological Sciences

Neural basis of learning and memory, large-scale electrophysiology, object and face recognition, neural oscillations, neural computation, sleep and state-dependent influences on perception

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Timothy J Hohman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurology
Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Timothy Hohman is an Associate Professor of Neurology, cognitive neuroscientist, and computational geneticist. Dr. Hohman’s research leverages advanced computational approaches from genomics, proteomics, and neuroscience to identify novel markers of Alzheimer’s disease risk and resilience. He leads the Biomarker Core for the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center and holds leadership positions in multiple international consortia, including serving as the Contact-PI for the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project Phenotype Harmonization Consortium (ADSP-PHC; U24-AG074855) and directing the Genomics Core for the Preclinical Alzheimer’s Consortium. Dr. Hohman’s programmatic research focuses on understanding how certain individuals are able to accumulate Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology without showing clinical symptoms of the disease. He has identified molecular drivers of such resilience through genomic and proteomic analyses leveraging neuroimaging and neuropathology endophenotypes. Dr. Hohman’s team also integrates these diverse data types into a precision medicine approach, focusing on characterizing the best predictors of risk and resilience given an individual’s age, sex, genetic, and neuropathological context. Through transdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Hohman’s team seeks to facilitate a more rapid move from genomic discovery to therapeutic development.

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Kathryn L. Humphreys , Ph.D., Ed.M.

Associate Professor, Psychology and Human Development

Dr. Humphreys directs the Stress and Early Adversity (SEA) Lab, which pursues questions related to positive and negative experiences during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood. Our research includes both basic and applied approaches for understanding developmental processes in the context of risk and preventing and intervening following exposure to adversity. In particular, we are interested in promoting positive caregiving experiences and buffering children from the effects of adversity.

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Rebecca A. Ihrie, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology and Neurological Surgery

Studying neural stem cells, brain tumors, and the relationship between the two using high-dimensional approaches

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Lauren Parker Jackson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
Chancellor Faculty Fellow

Molecular mechanisms of membrane trafficking proteins in cell biology and human brain disease

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E. Duco Jansen, Ph.D.

Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Affairs, Vanderbilt University School of Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery

Laser-tissue interaction; optical neural interfaces; modulation of neural activity using infrared laser light; cellular effects of laser-induced stimuli; application of light, lasers and optical technology in medicine and biology

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Angela Jefferson, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology
Director of the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center

Vascular factors contributing to cognitive aging, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral small vessel disease and neurodegeneration using neuroimaging, cardiac imaging, neuropsychological testing, fluid biomarkers, and proteomics as well as translational animal and cellular models

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Carl H. Johnson, Ph.D.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences
Professor of Biological Sciences
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Cellular and molecular biology of biological clocks

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Owen D. Jones, J.D.

Glenn M. Weaver, M.D. and Mary Ellen Weaver Chair in Law, Brain, and Behavior
Director, Weaver Family Program in Law, Brain Sciences, and Behavior
Professor of Law
Professor of Biological Sciences

Law and Behavioral Biology; Law and Neuroscience; Evolutionary Analysis in Law

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Lori Jordan, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology
Director, Pediatric Stroke Program

Our multidisciplinary research team studies cerebral hemodynamics, cerebral blood flow and oxygen extraction fraction, in adults and children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and other medical conditions that increase stroke risk, using novel MRI measures. We have developed applications for novel, hemodynamic imaging to assess key clinical questions regarding stroke risk and cerebrovascular reserve in SCD. We also use diffusion tensor imaging to assess how altered cerebral hemodynamics affect microstructural tissue integrity in the brain, and in turn how this impacts cognitive function and recovery after brain injury. We have expanded this work to assess brain microstructure and metabolic function using MRI methods in children with type 1 diabetes.

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Jon H. Kaas, Ph.D.

Distinguished Centennial Professor of Psychology
Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Sensory-Motor Systems; Brain Plasticity; Mammalian Brain Evolution

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Jing-Qiong (Katty) Kang, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurology

Impaired GABAergic Signaling in epilepsy, Autism and Brain Development

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Ege Kavalali, Ph.D.

William Stokes Chair in Experimental Therapeutics & Professor
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology

Dr. Kavalali’s group studies molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic vesicle dynamics and their impact on neuronal signaling.

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Alexandra Sasha Key, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor, Hearing & Speech Sciences Department
Director, Psychophysiology Services

My lab uses psychophysiological measures (EEG/ERP, eye tracking) to understand mechanisms of sensory and cognitive processes in developmental disabilities, to identify markers of risk for adverse outcomes, and to document treatment effects. A related line of research concentrates on the development of brain-based cognitive assessments that do not require behavioral responses for use in infants and individuals with limited verbal and/or motor functioning.

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Ela W. Knapik, M.D.

Professor, Medicine
Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology

Discovery of Disease Mechanisms of Comorbidities in Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Genotype-Phenotype Relations

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Autumn Kujawa, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Psychology and Human Development

Affective neuroscience and vulnerability for mood and anxiety disorders; Neural predictors of response to treatment for internalizing disorders in children and adolescents

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Bennett Landman, Ph.D.

Chair, Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor of Computer Science
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Biomedical Informatics
Professor of Neurology

Magnetic resonance imaging & statistical analysis with emphasis on medical imaging. His research concentrates on applying image-processing technologies to leverage large-scale imaging studies to improve understanding of individual anatomy and personalize medicine.

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Miriam Lense, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology
Fellow, Curb Center for Arts, Enterprise, and Public Policy
Member, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
Co-Director, Music Cognition Lab

Social communication and interaction in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders; music cognition; multi-method approaches including EEG, eye-tracking, acoustics, and behavior

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Ethan S. Lippmann, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Using human induced pluripotent stem cells to construct biomimetic neurovascular tissues for drug screening and disease modeling applications; in vitro selection and directed evolution approaches for biosensing and therapeutic design.

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Alexander V. Maier, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Psychology
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

The aim of our research is to increase our scientific understanding of the neural mechanisms that give rise to visual perception in order to prevent and treat visual deficits, disorders and disease

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Beth A. Malow, M.D., M.S.

Burry Chair of Cognitive Childhood Development
Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics
Director, Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Division

The focus of Dr. Malow’s research is to improve the sleep, health, and well-being of individuals with autism and related conditions

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René Marois, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology
Winkelried Family Chair in Neuroscience
Director of Graduate Studies, Psychology
Professor, Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Behavioral and neural basis of human attention, Behavioral and neural basis of legal decision-making

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Douglas G. McMahon, Ph.D.

Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences
Director, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program
Co-Director, NIH MARC at Vanderbilt
Faculty Head of House, Crawford House
Department of Biological Sciences

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David M. Miller, III, Ph.D.

Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology

Decoding genetic programs for building and remodeling neurons.

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Lisa M. Monteggia, Ph.D.

Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute
Professor of Pharmacology
Professor of Psychology
Professor of Psychiatry

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Terunaga Nakagawa, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Molecular Mechanism of Synaptic Plasticity – Biochemistry and Imaging of Macromolecules in the Synapse

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Jeffrey L Neul, M.D., Ph.D.

Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair
Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
Professor of Pediatrics

Jeffrey Neul is a physician scientist who focuses on the clinical care, clinical research, and translational research for genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, with an emphasis on Rett syndrome.  Rett syndrome is typically caused by mutations in the epigenetic regulator MECP2 and robs affected individuals of their ability to speak and use their hands.  The Neul lab uses a combination of modern genetic, molecular, and physiological methods to characterize animal and cellular models of Rett syndrome and related disorders to develop an enhanced understanding of the pathophysiological basis and to develop and test novel therapies

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Paul Newhouse, M.D.

Jim Turner Chair in Cognitive Disorders
Professor of Psychiatry, Pharmacology, and Medicine
Director, Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine
Clinical Core Director, Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Physician-Scientist, VA-TVHS GRECC

Dr. Newhouse is a physician scientist focusing on pathological brain aging, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, including identifying biological vulnerabilities leading to increased risk of the development of Alzheimer’s disease in women and individuals with Down syndrome.  A particular interest is the role of brain cholinergic systems in cognitive decline, utilizing advanced methods such as human positron emission tomography (PET), MRI imaging (functional and structural), and experimental neuropharmacology. The Newhouse laboratory also collaborates on development of novel therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease from first in human studies to multicenter clinical trials.

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Colleen Niswender, Ph.D.

Professor, Pharmacology
Warren Director of Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Molecular Pharmacology

Dr. Niswender’s work focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders to develop and assess novel therapeutics. We employ a comprehensive set of approaches such as molecular biology and pharmacology, electrophysiology, in vivo pharmacology, and biomarker studies to translate lab findings into clinical development.

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Kevin D. Niswender, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine
Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism

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William P. Nobis, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Division

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), the enigmatic pathology whereby epileptic patients are found to have died without another cause, is the most frequent cause of death in epilepsy patients. The extended amygdala is intimately connected to brainstem respiratory and arousal networks as well as higher order structures. Our research aim is to investigate the involvement of these subcortical brain regions through multidisciplinary approach to determine their role in epilepsy, apneas, arousal and sudden death.

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Terry L. Page, Ph.D.

Professor of Biological Sciences
Brain Institute Emertius Faculty

Neurobiology of Circadian Rhythms

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Wellington Pham, Ph.D.

Professor of Radiology
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

My research interests include the integration of medicinal chemistry with biomarking imaging technology for the discovery of biomarkers and molecular imaging probes, combined with drug delivery approaches dedicated to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Sean M Polyn, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Cognitive and Neural Dynamics of the Human Memory System; Neuroimaging; Electrophysiology; Computational Modeling

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Ramnarayan Ramachandran, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences

Dr. Ramachandran is interested in how sounds are encoded in the brain by the activity of populations of neurons, and how these populations of neurons may subserve auditory perception and behavior. To that end, he uses an approach that combines behavior, electrophysiology, and quantitative analysis and computational modeling. Current projects include an investigation into the neuronal basis of detection of sounds (tones, amplitude modulated tones, human communication sounds, etc.) in noisy, naturalistic environments. The long term goal of the research done in the lab is to investigate dysfunction in encoding sounds and the dysfunction in the linkages between neuronal activity and perception in older or hearing impaired subjects, and come up with improved devices/signal processing for recovery of function. Research in the lab is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIDCD).

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Tonia S. Rex, Ph.D.

Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
Marlene and Spencer Hays Director of Translational Research
Associate Vice Chair for Research
Vanderbilt Eye Institute

The Rex laboratory uses translational approaches to study mechanisms and develop treatments for vision loss due to damage to the optic nerve from trauma or glaucoma. In this laboratory, clinical studies are performed alongside wet bench research with the goal of moving neuroprotective and neuroregenerative therapies to the clinic.

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Renã A.S. Robinson, Ph.D.

Professor of Chemistry, Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chair
Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center

The RASR laboratory develops and applies cutting-edge proteomics and other ‘omics approaches to advance understanding of aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Mikail Rubinov, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Assistant Professor, Psychology

Integrative statistical models of big neuroscience networks, evolutionary principles of brain network organization, information transfer in neural systems, neuropsychiatric connectivity phenotypes.

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Douglas Ruderfer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Division of Genetic Medicine, Departments of Medicine, Psychiatry and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

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Richard Sando, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology

Dr. Sando investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic circuit assembly and function in the mammalian central nervous system. We interrogate fundamental principles of neuronal cell biology by utilizing interdisciplinary methodologies ranging from electrophysiology, light super-resolution microscopy, and in vivo analysis of animal models. Our goal is to elucidate mechanistic principles of mammalian brain development and function that will open new possibilities for the treatment of neurological disorders.

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Monica M. Santisteban, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Neurology and Pharmacology
Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine
Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, Department of Neurology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

My lab investigates hypertension as a risk factor for cognitive impairment, utilizing mouse models of hypertension to assess the mechanisms leading to cognitive decline. This overarching plan more specifically includes three distinct, but complimentary projects including (1) defining the trafficking and molecular mechanisms leading to immune activation in the dura (and other brain border immune populations) during hypertension, (2) profiling brain vascular and perivascular cells to reveal the molecular bases of blood-brain barrier heterogeneity and regional susceptibility to disruption during hypertension, and (3) uncover the basic mechanisms leading to hippocampal neuronal dysfunction in hypertension. We employ a combination of genetic, pharmacological, and advanced imaging techniques to investigate the effects of hypertension on neuronal function and cognitive health.

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Matthew Schrag, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

The SchragLAB is focused on discovering shared molecular pathways between Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. We have two major projects, one characterizing lysosome function in neurons in Alzheimer’s disease and the other characterizing molecular mechanisms of vascular degeneration and microvascular network disruption in cerebral amyloid angiopathy. We study human brain tissue, mouse model systems and cell culture models, including complex three-dimensional multi-cellular in vitro methods, and use advanced microscopic techniques including high-content imaging, atomic force microscopy and CLARITY-based three-dimensional microscopy.

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Julia M. Sheffield, Ph.D.

Adult Psychiatry Research
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Jack Martin MD Research Professor in Psychopharmacology

Cognitive processes that contribute to symptoms of schizophrenia; psychotherapeutic interventions for psychosis; delusions; neuroimaging.

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Cody Siciliano, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Pharmacology

We develop animal models and leverage sophisticated technologies to elucidate the neural basis of motivation and maladaptive decision making.

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Richard B. Simerly, Ph.D.

Louise B. McGavock Professor
Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Developmental Neurobiology of Limbic, Hypothalamic and Autonomic Neural Architecture

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Michelle Southard-Smith, Ph.D.

Professor of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine
Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology

Developmental Genetics of Neural Crest Stem Cells in Visceral Organ Innervation

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Marie P. Suver, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

The Suver lab studies mechanisms of active sensing in Drosophila and the general principles underlying perception and behavior.

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Warren D Taylor, M.D., MHSc

James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Division of General Psychiatry and Division of Geriatric Psychiatry
Physician-Scientist, VA TVHS Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC)

Dr. Warren Taylor is the James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He completed his general psychiatry residency and geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Duke University, subsequently joining the faculty. He accepted a role in the Vanderbilt Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in 2012, where he currently serves on the Departmental Leadership Council as Director of the Divisions of Geriatric Psychiatry and General Psychiatry, and Associate Director of the Center for Cognitive Medicine. He is additionally a physician-investigator at the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) in the Tennessee Valley VA Health System.

Dr. Taylor’s research examines neurobiological factors influencing the phenomenology and outcomes of late-life depression using a variety of methods including neuroimaging, ecological assessments, and neurocognitive approaches. This work is integrated with clinical trials designed to probe the biological substrates of the antidepressant response or longitudinal designs examining longer-term outcomes such as cognitive decline or vulnerability to recurrence. His work examines structural and functional neuroimaging findings related to depression outcomes, with a particular focus on the influence of vascular disease on brain aging, cognitive decline, and depression. Current work focuses on how stress contributes to the development of cognitive decline and depression, neurobiological contributors to recurrence of depression in older adults, and repurposing of drugs to potentially benefit depression and cognitive decline in older adults. For more information on our research, please visit https://www.vumc.org/laci/depression-research-vanderbilt-university-medical-center

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Alexandre Tiriac, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Scientific progress in the fields of regeneration and disease depends on a fundamental understanding of developmental processes. During development, neurons make new connections, refine them, and ultimately form a collection of circuits that underlie our ability to perform complex behaviors. This process relies on patterned spontaneous activity, which is most prevalent early in development and often dissipates by the onset of sensory experience. This activity is not random, but rather exhibits distinct spatiotemporal patterns that change throughout development and across sensory modalities. My lab studies both the visual and sensorimotor system to 1) identify the neural circuits responsible for generating spontaneous activity and 2) understand how distinct spatiotemporal properties of spontaneous activity instruct the development of neural circuits. Our goal is to use this knowledge to rescue functional phenotypes in mouse models of neurological disorders that are known to exhibit perturbed spontaneous activity. For more information on our research, please visit www.tiriaclab.org.

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Frank Tong, Ph.D.

Centennial Professor, Psychology
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

fMRI, behavioral, and neurocomputational studies of visual perception, attentional selection, face and object recognition, using computational modeling and deep learning to characterize human visual processing

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Sophia Vinci-Booher, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Psychology and Human Development
Peabody College of Education and Human Development

The LaND lab investigates the role of action and perception in human learning and, more specifically, how the brain mediates that relationship throughout child development and in adulthood. The lab employs a variety of methods, including several MRI-based neuroimaging techniques, training paradigms, and behavioral assessments.

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Mark T. Wallace, Ph.D.

Louise B. McGavock Endowed Chair
Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences
Professor of Psychology
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Pharmacology

Multisensory Processing; Sensorimotor Transformations; Perception; Autism; Cochlear Implants; Plasticity

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Eric D. Wilkey, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Psychology and Human Development

Dr. Wilkey’s research focuses on educational neuroscience, primarily in the development of mathematical skills and neurocognitive mechanisms that enable this type of cognition.

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Stephen M. Wilson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Our research is concerned with the neural basis of language, with a particular focus on investigating the neural mechanisms that support recovery from aphasia after stroke

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Danny G. Winder, Ph.D.

Director, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR)
Bixler-Johnson-Mayes Professor, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Pharmacology, and Psychiatry

Preclinical models of interactions between stress and addiction

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Thilo Womelsdorf, Ph.D.

Professor, Psychology
Sec. Appointment in Biomedical Engineering

Dr. Womelsdorf is head of the Attention-Circuits-Control Neuroscience laboratory, using electrophysiology, neurochemistry, behavioral pharmacology, reinforcement learning modeling, machine learning approaches and psychophysics to understand how cells, circuits, and networks support flexible learning and attentional control in primate brains.

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Geoffrey F Woodman, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology
E. Bronson Ingram Chair of Neuroscience

Dr. Woodman’s research examines the nature and neural correlates of attention and memory. His research uses a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, imaging, and modeling methods.

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Neil D. Woodward, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavorial Sciences

The etiology and treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders using neuroimaging.

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Tiffany G. Woynaroski, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences

Dr. Woynaroski’s research program seeks to identify brain and behavioral factors that (a) explain heterogeneity, (b) predict growth and differential response to treatment, and (c) increase our understanding of how/why treatment works in young children with, or at risk for, neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Chengwen Zhou, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Study how epileptic networks in the whole-brain interact to trigger seizures during sleep/quiet-wakefulness and cognitive comorbidity, using physiology, optogenetic techniques and in vivo idiopathic generalized epilepsy animal models with GABAergic receptor mutations

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Maizie (Xin) Zhou, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Data Science Institute

Computational Genomics; Bioinformatics; Algorithms for reconstructing personal and cancer genomes; Computational Neuroscience; Dynamic behavior of neural circuits; Machine learning; Artificial Intelligence.

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Qiangjun Zhou, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology

My lab is dedicated to unraveling the in situ organization and dynamics of macromolecular assemblies at the molecular resolution, with the primary goal of gaining profound insights into their critical role in neuronal function, particularly synaptic transmission.

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Laurence J. Zwiebel, Ph.D.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Biological Sciences
Professor of Biological Sciences
Professor of Pharmacology

Molecular Genetics and Functionality of Odorant Receptors and Olfactory-Based Behavior in Malaria Vector Mosquitoes and Eusocial Ants