The neuroscience of immune responses

Growing evidence indicates that there is bidirectional communication between the brain and the immune system. Positioned at the crossroads of neuroscience, immunology, and developmental neurobiology, our lab aims to uncover the ‘neuroscience of immune responses’ from encoding mechanisms to pathology. One of our key research areas is investigating how immune information is encoded within cortical circuits. Another significant research focus is identifying the fundamental biological mechanisms underlying brain and behavioral disorders influenced by immune challenges. Additionally, we plan to explore the role of immune cells in modulating neuronal activity and behavior, but this research direction is not active yet. Read below for more information about our research!

Please note that we do not work on the role of microglia in neurodegeneration.

Our research is question-driven, not technique-driven. We address our research questions using multi-level approaches that bridge molecular, cellular, and imaging techniques with behavior. Using mice as model organisms, we combine molecular approaches (e.g. spatial transcriptomics), in vivo two-photon structural and functional imaging, chemogenetics, and modern viral and transgenic tools.

Cortical immune-responsive circuits

How does our cerebral cortex represent immune responses?

Answering this major question is the main and most active research direction in the lab. We are actively recruiting trainees who want to work in this area. Specific questions and projects include:

  • What are the cellular, molecular, and circuit mechanisms that promote immune encoding?

  • What are the signals that activate cortical immune-responsive circuits and their specificity?

  • How do cortical immune-responsive circuits emerge during development?

Higher-order neural representation of the body’s immune responses in the cortex

Neuroimmunology exemplifies the bidirectional communication between the brain and body, with the immune system serving as a sixth sense that detects and conveys immune information to the brain. This information is then used by the brain to drive behavioral responses. For instance, avoiding crowds during a pandemic or the restaurant where we got food poisoning involves memory, decision-making, and cognitive functions, as well as an awareness of our overall health. To facilitate these complex responses, peripheral immune information must be integrated with other sensory inputs within cortical regions. A central research focus in the lab is understanding how peripheral immune information is encoded, integrated, and transmitted within high-order brain regions.

Biology linking inflammatory and neuropsychiatric conditions

Specific questions and projects within this research direction include:

  • Neural mechanisms linking allergies and mood disorders: What is the role of cortical immune-responsive circuits?

  • Neurobiology of Long COVID (Collaboration with Akiko Iwasaki): How does chronic immune activation in Long COVID impact cortical dynamics and connectivity?

  • Link between early postnatal immune challenges, immune-responsive circuits, and neurodevelopmental disorders (see question 3 in the first research direction).

This research direction is currently at capacity, and we are unfortunately not actively recruiting trainees to work on these projects.

Immune regulation of cortical networks

This research direction is not active and, at the moment, we are not recruiting trainees to work on this topic. In the future, specific questions and projects within this research direction will include:

  • Impact of cytokines and other immune molecules on cortical circuits and behavior: What is the role of cortical immune-responsive circuits?

  • Bidirectional interactions between microglia and neuronal activity in different contexts.