We investigate and develop new methods and tools to record neurons in the brain using nonlinear microscopy and protein sensors. Our goals are to better understand the role of brain circuits and the efficacy of novel neuroprotective treatments in rodent models of neurodegenerative and neurological conditions.
Dr. Dana's Bibliography
We are a bioinformatics lab, studying patterns of RNA editing in the context of host-pathogen interactions, and how RNA editing changes in brain health and disease. We currently focus on the role of ADAR editing changes in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer diseases, and mental health disorders.
We investigate how the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin contribute to the neural regulation of behavior.
We investigate major morphological transitions in evolution, focusing on whale evolution. Our samples include fossil Eocene whales, as well as anatomical samples of modern bowhead and beluga whales.
We investigate mechanobiology processes at the single-molecular, molecular assembly, and cellular level. We use optical tweezers to reveal interactions between individual nucleic acid structures and motor proteins (e.g. polymerases) from mechanical perspectives. At the cellular level, we strive to probe the effect of molecular machineries such as protein aggregates and organelles on cell mechanics such as migrations and divisions.
Our lab develops translational therapies for regeneration and recovery after spinal cord injuries and discovers drugs to stop glioblastoma progression in mice, aiming to advance these into clinical trials
We investigate diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, and stem cell-based gene therapy.
We investigate the inflammatory component of Alzheimer's disease using various mouse models. We are interested in microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, as well as components of the circulating peripheral immune system and their interactions with microglia, as well as how these cells may respond differently based on sex.
We investigate circadian rhythms of feeding and activity and how they interact with environmental stimuli. We also study how disruption of circadian rhythms alters reproductive cycles.
Dr. Mintz's Lab Website
Students, faculty and veterans met at the Student Green for an early Veterans Day Commemoration on Friday, November 8. The university’s Army and Air Force ROTC groups stood beside local veterans for a flag-raising ceremony and speeches, along with keynote speaker and Alumna Major Alison Brager, Ph.D. ‘11 who spoke of her time in both the military and 91²Ö¿â’s Department of Biological Sciences. Brager, who earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience at 91²Ö¿â, talked about the soft skills she learned that helped her in the military, especially with the work she did in New York City...
