The Chen Neurocircuit and Behavior Lab studies how experience reshapes the structure and function of cortical circuits across development and aging. We are particularly interested in how sensory experience, early-life adversity, stress, and age-related change influence neural plasticity and behavioral function.
Our work examines these questions across multiple levels of organization, from dendritic spines and neuronal morphology to inhibitory circuits, perineuronal nets, microglia, and their relationships with behavior. We combine quantitative neuroanatomy, fluorescence imaging, behavioral analysis, and computational approaches to identify how changes in cellular architecture are organized within cortical circuits.
By integrating these perspectives, we aim to understand how experience leaves lasting biological signatures in the brain and why similar experiences can lead to different functional outcomes across individuals and stages of life.
Above: Parvalbumin+ Interneurons (in green) Encapsulated by Perineuronal Nets (in red) of Primary Somatosensory Cortex
Above: Golgi-Impregnated Cortical Neurons in Primary Somatosensory Cortex
Above: Neurolucida-Reconstructed Cortical Neurons Revealing Different Morphological Characteristics
Circuit and Behavior Lab at DKU 