Nanotechnology for Brain Chemistry
We engineer nanomaterials to illuminate brain chemistry. Neurochemicals are fundamental to communication between neurons, and their imbalance lies at the core of numerous neurological conditions. However, most neurochemicals remain “invisible” because we lack tools to monitor their dynamics in real time. This limitation hinders our understanding of when and where neurochemicals are released, and how their release may be disrupted in disease.
Our lab addresses this gap by developing tools to visualize neurochemical signaling in the brain, by taking an interdisciplinary approach that integrates materials science, optics, and surface engineering. Leveraging these tools, we seek to understand how neurochemicals underlie behaviors and diseases, and ultimately develop a “neurochemical map” of the brain.