Neuroscience Graduate Program
Debbie Swierczek, Program Coordinator
School of Graduate Education
Knight Hall 247
Phone: 307-766-4128
Email: neuroscience@uwyo.edu
Debbie Swierczek
Program Coordinator
Transdisciplinary Programs
Phone: (307) 766-4128
Email: neuroscience@uwyo.edu
Lab: Dr. Yun Li
Email: nadhika1@uwyo.edu
Lab: Dr. Grace Shearrer
Email: makhmadj@uwyo.edu
Lab: Dr. Brandon Roberts
Email: balamiri@uwyo.edu
Lab: Dr. Jared Bushman
Email:jallgoo1@uwyo.edu
Lab: Dr. Jared Bushman
Email: aallotey@uwyo.edu
My research is focused on investigation the interrelation between glycosylation and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by probing the regulatory machinery/hotspots of glycosylation in the AD mice brain hippocampus. This research employs behavioral, transcriptomic, and molecular and immunofluorescent assays to achieve an outcome that will have therapeutic relevance to AD pathology.
Lab: Dr. Yun Li
Email: sgautam3@uwyo.edu
Project Summary:
Centered on systems neuroscience, I am using mouse models to investigate the function of prefrontal neural circuits and how their dysfunctions contribute to human brain disorders under the supervision of Dr. Yun Li. My main research project employs innovative techniques like miniscope in vivo calcium imaging and coupled with TRAP2 facilitated neuromodulation to understand the neural circuit based pathogenic mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.
Lab:Dr. William Todd
Email:gguidone@uwyo.edu
My research interests revolve around the neural basis of learning and memory through the view of the circadian rhythm. I am interested in extending this curiosity to touch on questions regarding the impact different circadian time points have on addictive behaviors with a focus on extinction related phenomena.
Lab: Dr. William Todd
Email: egwaltne@uwyo.edu
In mice, I am inducing viral vector expression to investigate neural subpopulations in the lateral parabrachial nucleus of the brainstem and their input into the circadian center, located in the hypothalamus. In doing this, I hope to better understand these neural subtypes, their role in influencing our circadian rhythm, and how their function may be altered in Alzheimer's disease.
Lab:Dr. Yun Li
Email:djean@uwyo.edu
I study depression in the medial and prefrontal cortex and amygdala using a mouse model under Dr. Li. Depression is induced in the mice through chronic social defeat stress models and techniques such as grin lens imlantation and viral infections are used to study/manipulate the behavior of the mice. The main prupose of the research is to gain a better understanding on the neurobiology and molecular mechanisms of depression.
Lab: Dr. Qian-Quan Sun
Email: wjohnst6@uwyo.edu
I am studying decision-making behavior in relation to the medial prefrontal cortex, specifically the dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Using Mini two-photon imaging, I aim to gain insights into the cellular dynamics and functional roles of neurons in these regions that may be correlated with operantly conditioned behaviors during decision-making.
Lab: Dr. Adam Nelson
Email: jlanden1@uwyo.edu
My research focuses on developing computational pipelines that integrate thermal imaging and neural manipulation techniques to explore the relationships between neural activity, physiological responses, and behavior. Specifically, I investigate the neural mechanisms underlying social and thermoregulatory behaviors in mice, aiming to uncover how these systems interact. By combining neural imaging, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, I develop innovative methods to analyze these connections with high precision.
Lab: Dr. William Todd
Email: mruhmann@uwyo.edu
My research focuses on understanding sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease, and how sex hormones affect circadian rhythms and Alzheimer’s disease pathology such as hyperphosphorylated Tau. I aim to investigate how sexual dimorphisms in receptor expression in the hypothalamus and the brain stem may contribute to worse pathology and behavior in females compared to males.
Lab: Dr. Ram Shukla
Email: kswamina@uwyo.edu
My research involves studying molecular mechanisms behind Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in mouse depression models. The study’s cornerstone lies in the hypothesis that variations in ribosome composition can influence the translational landscape of neurons, thereby affecting their response to depressive states. By utilizing techniques such as polysome profiling and high throughput proteomic analysis, we anticipate uncovering specific ribosomal signatures that correlate with altered neuronal behavior in depression.
Lab: Dr. Nicole Bedford
Email: dtaylo51@uwyo.edu
During my undergraduate, I cultivated a deep interest in the neural basis of motor control, and the urination circuit offers an unusually tractable model system in which to study the general principles of motor control. Unlike other motor behaviors that are executed by multiple muscles and complex muscle synergies, urination relies on only two muscles: the urinary bladder and urethral sphincter. Additionally, the neuronal projections that allow the brain to communicate with the lower urinary tract via the spinal cord are well-characterized. During my PhD, I will work to uncover how aging affects circadian regulation of this urination circuit.
Lab:Drs. William Todd & Jonathan Prather
Email:qjeffs@uwyo.edu
Lab: Dr. Brandon Roberts
Email: pwormeno@uwyo.edu
My research focuses on elucidating the neural mechanisms that drive metabolic dysfunction in a time-of-day-dependent manner in response to early-life overnutrition. My focal point is to specifically investigate how early life overnutrition affects the neurophysiology of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH), a critical region for energy homeostasis. Using chronic postnatal overnutrition (CPO) as a mouse model for childhood obesity, I seek to characterize the functional alterations in ARH-NPY ‘hunger’ neurons, with a particular emphasis on how KATP channels contribute to leptin resistance. By uncovering how CPO disrupts the daily rhythms of metabolic signaling, the end goal is to propose targeted interventions to improve long-term metabolic health.
Lab:Dr. Kara Pratt
Email: kzheng1@uwyo.edu
My research interests are about the visual system of the Xenopus Laevis tadpoles. Currently, I'm focusing on the retinotegmentum circuitry and its function related to both visual and non-visual stimuli. I'm also interested in discovering the importance and functionality of hindbrain projection to the midbrain tegmental region.
Lab: Dr. Ram Shukla
Email: achoudha@uwyo.edu
Project Summary:
My research focuses on understanding the role of ribosomal heterogeneity in major depressive disorder. Specifically, I aim to identify changes in ribosomal stoichiometry and phosphorylation associated with stress-related phenotypes. To achieve this, I take a multidisciplinary approach, integrating studies on postmortem MDD subjects, chronic variable stress (CVS)-exposed mice, and in vitro models.
Lab: Dr. Ram Shukla
Email: mdhokne@uwyo.edu
Project Summary:
My research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying mood disorders, with a particular emphasis on ribosome heterogeneity. We investigate how stress-induced alterations in ribosome composition influence neuronal function and contribute to mood-related pathologies. Using postmortem brain samples, stress-exposed animal models, and primary neurons, I employ transcriptomic-translatomic integration to examine ribosome-associated mRNA dynamics and changes in the ribosomal translation program and its efficiency. Our work also emphasizes translational research, aiming to bridge fundamental discoveries with potential therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Debbie Swierczek, Program Coordinator
School of Graduate Education
Knight Hall 247
Phone: 307-766-4128
Email: neuroscience@uwyo.edu