lab sculpture created by Steve Lohman

 

Postdoctoral ScholarsGraduate StudentsUndergraduate Students
Mark Schnitzer
Principal Investigator
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

Mark Schnitzer is Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and Applied Physics. His research concerns both optical imaging and cerebellar neural circuits. The Schnitzer lab has invented two forms of fiber optic imaging, one- and two-photon fluorescence microendoscopy, which enable minimally invasive imaging of blood cells and neurons in deep brain tissues. The lab is further developing microendoscopy technology, studying how experience or environment alters neuronal properties, and exploring clinical applications. Much research focuses on classical eyeblink conditioning, a form of associative memory that depends on cerebellar function. Many theories of such learning focus on cerebellar Purkinje neurons, which the Schnitzer lab has shown they can image in large numbers in live mice. By combining imaging, electrophysiological, behavioral, and computational approaches, the lab seeks to understand cerebellar dynamics underlying learning, memory, and forgetting.

Annette Lewis
Scientific Project Manager
CONTACT  

After completing postdoctoral research in neuroscience at Stanford and Genentech, Inc., I worked as a scientist and scientific manager at Entelos, Inc., working closely with both biologists and engineers to build computer based models of disease, including asthma and other inflammatory diseases. I have returned to Stanford to apply principles of scientific management to the work in the Schnitzer lab, where innovation of new brain imaging modalities involves detailed planning and coordination between several personnel with distinct areas of expertise. I also help coordinate our relationships with scientific corporations seeking to translate our inventions into the marketplace.

Juergen Jung
Operations Director
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

My early work in the Schnitzer lab concerned the invention of both one- and two-photon fluorescence microendoscopy. Now, as Operations Director I am coordinating multiple aspects of our internal research program and our interactions with industry. I continue to engage in research on microendoscopy and have recently focused on creation of a chronic mouse preparation for long-term microendoscopy studies. I also enjoy scientific mentoring of students in the lab, particularly undergraduates.

Jane Li
Life Science Research Assistant
CONTACT  

I support the laboratory through a variety of research activities involving histology, circuit tracing, genotyping, husbandry, and surgery. My collaborators include Robert Barretto, Lynn Sun, and Axel Nimmerjahn.

Andrea Lui
Life Science Research Technician
CONTACT  

I am working closely with Axel Nimmerjahn and Eran Mukamel, performing both data analysis and experiments regarding cerebellum-dependent behavior.

Wibool Piyawattanametha
Research Scientist
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

My research focuses on the development of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) based microendoscopes for minimally invasive in vivo brain imaging. In Prof. Mark J. Schnitzer's group, I am collaborating with Benjamin Flusberg, Eric Cocker, Robert Barretto, Laurie Burns and Juergen Jung in developing a MEMS two-photon fluorescence endoscope that allows in vivo neuron real time imaging in the brain of awake and freely moving mice over extended time periods. I am also interested in clinicial applications in human patients.

Postdoctoral Scholars
Fang-Ping Chen
Postdoctoral Scholar
CONTACT  

My research interest is to investigate the neuronal circuit involving eyeblinks in the mouse cerebellum. Eyeblinks have been used as model systems to study motor control and motor learning due to their simplicity. My goal is first to identify the blink-related cerebellar neurons physiologically and anatomically in mice. Furthermore, I examine the electrophysiological and morphorlogical changes when animals are trained with Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning paradigm in order to understand the role of the cerebellum in motor learning.

Michael Molineux
Postdoctoral Scholar
CONTACT  

My PhD research focused on in vitro electrophysiological studies of cerebellar neuronal spiking properties. In the Schnitzer lab, I am building on this background to pursue a combination of in vitro and in vivo experiments aimed at understanding how cerebellar networks direct motor learning and how the activity of a population of individual neurons may change during the course of learning, memory recall, and extinction.

Axel Nimmerjahn
Postdoctoral Scholar
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

In addition to neurons, the brain contains three major types of glial cells. Among these, the role of astrocytes, including Bergmann glia (BG) in the cerebellum, has remained enigmatic. In recent years, astrocytes have been shown to have some surprising functions, including control of synapse formation and function. Furthermore, both synaptic and structural plasticity processes thought to underlie learning and memory in the brain involve astrocytes. To study the potential role of BG cells in cerebellum-dependent motor learning I will monitor neuronal and BG network function in live mammalian subjects using two-photon fluorescence imaging of cellular calcium dynamics. By using transgenic mice I will examine how selective BG gene interference perturbs neuron-glia network processing as well as the acquisition and expression of learned behavior.

Graduate Students
Robert Barretto
Graduate Student
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

I am interested in using in vivo two-photon fluorescence microscopy to visualize neuronal dynamics in the cerebellum and am collaborating with Amit Metha. With Daniel Wetmore and Devin Kehl, I am particularly interested in studying cerebellar circuit dynamics related to classical conditioning. I hope to further our understanding of how an animal analyzes available sensory information, and determines the salient information warranting a conditioned response.

Laurie Burns
Graduate Student
CONTACT  

My current projects are focused on the development of fluorescence microendoscopy approaches to imaging cellular level activity in freely moving rodents. This research involves a combination of applied optics and behavioral and circuits neuroscience. In these pursuits I am collaborating with Benjamin Flusberg, Axel Nimmerjahn, and Eric Ho.

Eric Cocker
Graduate Student
CONTACT  

My main research interests lie in the designing of mechatronic devices in the sub-areas of medical devices and robotics. I am currently working with Benjie Flusberg, Juergen Jung, and Erik Anderson on the design and implementation of a miniature device for imaging in the brains of awake-behaving mice.

Benjamin Flusberg
Graduate Student
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

My research focuses on two-photon fluorescence microendoscopy in the live mammalian brain. In particular, I am developing a miniaturized, fiber-optic based microendoscopy system for performing two-photon fluorescence imaging in the brains of awake, behaving mice. This device should allow us to link an animal’s behavior with the underlying neuronal mechanisms, and will help broaden our understanding of how learning and memory are encoded at the level of individual and small groups of neurons. I am collaborating in this work with Juergen Jung, Eric Cocker, and Erik Anderson.

Eric Tattwei Ho
Graduate Student
CONTACT  

My primary interest lies in extending the capabilities of fluorescence imaging techniques such as exploring new ways to image faster and deeper.

Eran Mukamel
Graduate Student
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

The cerebellum presents both sophisticated complexity and elegant simplicity. As a theoretical physicist, I am employing an array of computational and analytic techniques to explore the computations enabled by cerebellar circuitry. An understanding of the cerebellum in terms of its operation at the cellular level may help simplify and illuminate several areas of cerebellum-related physiology and behavioral science, including the psychology of classical conditioning; the pathology of diseases of ataxia; and the biology of learning and memory. The array of tools I am using in my approach to this problem includes large-scale simulations; analytic study of the cerebellum as a dynamical system; as well as contemporary approaches to biological structures involving network motifs.

Lynn Sun
Graduate Student
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

My current research aims to combine and utilize molecular biology, behavioral neuroscience and biophysical techniques towards the study of cerebellar circuits. At present, I have developed and am developing lentivirus and pseudorabies vectors to deliver genetically encodable optical probes to the neurons of live rodents. These viral vectors will be used in a collaborative project with Juergen Jung and Tammy Wang to assess structural changes in neurons and neuronal as the animal undergoes various physiological/behavioral events. In addition, I am also constructing viral vectors for the expression of calcium sensors with which I hope to gain an insight into the calcium signaling patterns of neurons and how these patterns may change as neurons are exposed to different electrical or behavioral stimuli. In both cases, imaging will be done using in vivo microendoscopy or microscopy approaches developed by the Schnitzer group.

Dan Wetmore
Graduate Student
CONTACT CURRICULUM VITAE

My research interests are focused on understanding the brain at a systems-level—to attempt to decode the patterns of communication between populations of cells and to integrate this knowledge with mechanisms of behavior. In collaboration with Devin Kehl, I am developing a mouse model of eyeblink conditioning, a cerebellar-dependant form of associative learning. Together with Todd Anderson, we will study the physiology of cerebellar neurons that are responsible for specific features of this behavior, such as acquisition, savings, and extinction. Electrophysiology in both anesthetized and awake, behaving animals will map these features to cerebellar regions and cell types. In addition, future imaging experiments offer promise for investigating sub-cellular processes involved in learning. In parallel with these in vivo experiments, I am collaborating with Eran Mukamel on computer simulations of cerebellar biophysics and circuit properties.

Michael Wittenberg
Masters Student
CONTACT  

I am designing a fluorescence microendoscopy system for use in humans during temporal bone surgeries in the auditory system.

 

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