Jae-eun Miller, PhD

The goal of Dr. Miller’s laboratory is to determine what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disorders at the circuit level during the behaviors that matter most to the human disease. The Miller lab tackles this problem using innovative optical tools, such as simultaneous in vivo two-photon calcium imaging and holographic two-photon optogenetics, to image and manipulate brain activity during critical behaviors in mouse models. 

One of focuses of the lab is Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia. Memory loss and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease is likely due to circuit level dysfunction, but the nature of this dysfunction is unknown. The Miller lab aims to address the fundamental question: How does Alzheimer’s disease disrupt circuit activity during learning and memory retrieval? Specifically, they image neuronal ensembles in the hippocampus during spatial navigation and memory tasks using two-photon calcium imaging. Furthermore, using simultaneous two-photon calcium imaging and holographic two-photon optogenetic, the Miller lab aim to determine the causal link between neuronal ensembles and learning and memory. 

Another focus of the lab is to investigate the neural mechanisms of perceptual learning. Perceptual learning is a progressive improvement in performance on sensory tasks. Investigating the neural mechanisms of perceptual learning will enhance our understanding of plasticity in the adult brain and provide novel insights into learning disability. To tackle this problem, the Miller lab focuses on the primary visual cortex and determine network-level modifications in response to visual stimulation during perceptual learning as well as the modifications in intrinsic activity in the cortex. They also investigate a mechanistic approach to directly stimulate V1 ensembles to accelerate perceptual learning using a holographic two-photon optogenetic.   

Current Lab Members
Grace Paquelet, Postdoctoral Researcher
Seung Yeon Ko, Postdoctoral Researcher
Fabliha Hussain, Lab manager
Zaheen Hossain, Programmer
Maya Rodriguez, Undergraduate Researcher
Mary Salim, Undergraduate Researcher
Alex Zhang, Undergraduate Researcher
Amber Abud-Romero, Undergraduate Researcher
Nik Patel, Undergraduate Researcher