CAREER: Multi-Parametric Electrophysiology for High-Resolution Deep Brain Circuit Analysis

这个职业计划的研究目标是开发和应用一种新的技术，集成光声（即，由光产生的声音）和荧光精确地靶向已知在响应成瘾时被激活的神经回路。识别奖赏回路中的神经元亚型对理解成瘾很重要。该小组将进一步开发针对性治疗的有效药物疗法。这个职业项目的科学成果将具体纳入教育和推广。通过这些努力，将为教育、社区参与和激励下一代医学工程师开发新的机会。光学成像深度和细胞识别的限制将神经元回路的高分辨率记录限制在活体大脑的顶层。由首席研究员开创的一种新工具将作为一种新的可扩展和自动化方法的基础，以高空间分辨率和遗传特异性测量和控制活脑深处的神经元信号。这将使研究人员能够更好地表征和理解复杂的神经相互作用，提高我们对广泛的脑回路活动的基本理解，这将广泛用于各种神经系统疾病和神经退行性疾病，超出目前的能力。建立一个有效和可靠的系统，以靶向大脑深部的选定细胞，精确调节神经元活动，并记录来自单个电路中多个神经元的电信号，将使神经科学科学的变革性发现成为可能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The research goal of this CAREER program is to develop and apply a new technology that integrates photoacoustics (i.e., sound generated by light) and fluorescence to precisely target neurocircuits known to be activated in response to addiction. Identifying the neuronal subtype in reward circuitry is important to understanding addiction. This group will further develop effective pharmacotherapies for targeted treatments. The scientific outcomes of this CAREER project will be specifically incorporated into education and outreach. Through these efforts, new opportunities will be developed for education, community engagement, and motivation of the next generation of medically-inspired engineers.Limitations in optical imaging depth and cellular identification confines targeted high resolution recording of neuronal circuits to the top layer of the living brain. A novel tool, pioneered by the principal investigator, will serve as the foundation of a new scalable and automated approach to measure and control neuronal signals deep in the living brain with high spatial resolution and genetic specificity. This will enable investigators to better characterize and understand complex neural interactions, improving our fundamental understanding of widespread brain circuit activity that will be broadly useful for a variety of neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, beyond current capabilities. Establishing a valid and reliable system to target select cells in the deep brain, precisely modulate neuronal activity, and record electrical signals from multiple neurons within a single circuit will enable transformational discoveries in neuroscience scientificThis award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.