Zuo Lab

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Dr. Yi Zuo

Principal Investigator at UC Santa Cruz | Email | Google Scholar

The ability to learn new skills and to adapt to an ever-changing environment is vital for the animal. To understand the neural circuit basis of such abilities, as well as the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms, we combine live imaging, molecular genetics, opto- and chemo-genetics, and mouse behavioral analysis to study synapse plasticity under both physiological and pathological conditions.

My laboratory is in UC Santa Cruz’s Department. of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology. The University also offers a wide range of shared facilities, as well as opportunities for exciting interdisciplinary collaborations. For more information about our research topics or how to become a member of our research team, please contact us.

📰Lab News

🧪Main Projects – Decipher the dynamic neural circuit in the living brain

The ability to learn new skills and to adapt to an ever-changing environment is vital for the animal. To understand the neural circuit basis of such abilities, as well as the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms, we combine live imaging, molecular genetics, opto- and chemo-genetics, and mouse behavioral analysis to study synapse plasticity under both physiological and pathological conditions.

  • Glial contribution to synaptic dynamics and diseases

    The nervous system comprises two broad classes of cells: neurons and glia. Neuroscientists once believed that only neurons were responsible for information processing, and glia were merely supportive. This dogma is now being challenged, as recent studies have shown that glia are integral to neuronal circuit reorganization and are implicated in many neuropathologies. My early…

  • Cortical circuitry modification in stress and psychiatric disorders

    Stress pervades modern life. It is a major risk factor for many psychiatric disorders. As sensorimotor abnormalities are often present in these disorders, and mouse sensory cortices are accessible for in vivo imaging studies, we focused on the somatosensory cortex in the initial investigations. Combining behavioral analyses, chronic synaptic imaging, and cell type-specific manipulations, we…

  • Synapse remodeling in learning and memory formation

    Synapses are the principal sites at which neurons contact and communicate with one another. Experience-dependent modification of synaptic structure and function provides a cellular mechanism for learning and memory. My lab studies how the neuronal circuitry is established during development, and how it is rewired during learning and memory formation. We have established several mouse…

🐈Contact Us

Contact Zuo Lab to discuss published works, talk invitation, teaching, collaboration, and hiring opportunities.

1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Sinsheimer Labs, Rm 201
yizuo@ucsc.edu

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In Santa Cruz, California