Serotonin neurons are mainly localized to the raphe nuclei of the brainstem, but their axons are widely distributed throughout the nervous system and have a ubiquitous role in physiological processes and behavior. Adding to this complexity is the diverse array of high-affinity receptors that bind...

The Psychiatry and Early Neurobiological Development Lab (PENDL) at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine seeks to understand molecular and cellular aspects of early brain development and their relevance to psychiatric disorders. Hanna Stevens, the PI, is particularly interested in...

We study the neural circuits and intraneuronal signaling mechanisms that regulate appetite, body weight, sleep, and cardiorespiratory function in mice and aim to understand how these regulatory processes go awry in metabolic disorders. To this end, we employee state-of-the-art neuroscience...

My research focuses on the cortical mechanisms subserving human language and vocalization. Major goals of the research are to understand the representation of self-vocalization stimuli in primary and associated auditory cortices, elucidate and characterize the cortico-cortical interactions between...

We are interested in how humans carry out and maintain goal-directed behaviors and how the cognitive system resolves challenges to this goal. Common examples of such challenges are unexpected events and action errors. As part of this effort, we investigate the dynamic interplay between brain...

We combine behavioral, physiological, functional neuroanatomical, and cellular approaches to unravel the neural circuitry that underlies adaptive neuroendocrine responses to stress. Recently we have identified a locus in the basal forebrain that serves as a neural hub for integrating and relaying...

The Jiang lab seeks to understand the cognitive and neural mechanisms that enable goal-directed behavior using a combination of lab- and web-based behavioral studies, functional neuroimaging, computational modeling and virtual reality technology. Specifically, the lab focuses on the fundamental...

In the lab, we use genetic techniques to isolate and manipulate neurons that mediate basic physiologic functions including sleep, appetite, bladder control, and thermoregulation. My focus lies in identifying and deciphering previously unknown connections between neurons in the brainstem and other...

My lab uses genetic manipulation in mice to study the effects of Acid Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) on behavior. Because one of these channels, ASIC1, is abundant in the amygdala complex, we tested whether it plays a role in Pavlovian fear conditioning. We found that ASIC1a knockout mice have reduced...

We study the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory. The main focus of our research is on neural circuit interactions necessary for learning and memory retrieval. We use multi-site tetrode recordings, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, DREADDs, optogenetics, electrical stimulation, machine...