Our lab studies the reciprocal interactions between neurons and oligodendrocytes, the cells that make myelin in the central nervous system. We are especially interested in the many different ways oligodendrocytes and myelin shape neuronal function at the molecular, synaptic, and circuit levels. These interactions are crucial for normal brain function and, when disrupted, result in serious deficits in motor function and cognition.

Studies in preclinical models suggest that myelin plasticity is essential for different forms of learning and memory. However, many questions remain, including how oligodendrocytes and their myelin sheaths interact with specific neuronal circuits to impact their function and plasticity. To address this knowledge gap, our lab combines innovative genetic tools with high-resolution approaches for studying neuronal physiology to examine how oligodendrocytes and myelin shape neuronal circuit maturation, function, and plasticity. Research in this area is crucial for understanding brain development and lifelong plasticity, particularly in light of numerous studies identifying myelin deficits as a common pathological hallmark of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

We use in vivo preclinical models and primary cell cultures to observe and manipulate various aspects of oligodendrocyte function, and read out the consequences of those manipulations on neuronal morphology and physiology. Some of the questions we explore include:

• How does myelination during postnatal development shape cortical network activity and sensory acuity?

• How does myelination impact the axonal morphology, connectivity, and activity of different neuronal populations?

• How does early life adversity influence oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination, and to what extent does altered maturation of the oligodendrocyte lineage shape the maturation of limbic circuitry?