Lu Laboratory

Hui-Chen Lu, is a Gill Chair of Neuroscience in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. She received her Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. Her research focuses on the signaling cascades underlying neural circuit connections during brain development, to understand how sensory experiences affect neural circuit wiring, and to identify novel factors required to maintain the health of neural circuits during aging.

Education:

• B.S., National Taiwan University, 1991

• Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine, 1997

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Baylor College of Medicine, 1997-2003

Current Research:

• Development of cortical neural circuits, in particular on activity-dependent remodeling and how to correct mis-wiring in neurological disorders.

• Neuroprotective strategies to reserve cognition and to protect against dementia.

Current Research:

• The role of FGF/FGFR signaling in brain circuitry formation and maintenance.

• The underlying mechanisms that regulate FGF/FGFR expression.

Sen Yang is a dual Ph.D. student in Psychology & Brain Sciences and Neuroscience at Indiana University Bloomington. Her research interest is in neurodegenerative disease, specifically in the synaptic loss associated with Alzheimer's disease, and mechanisms of learning, memory, and consciousness.

Zhen Xian is a Ph.D. student from Taiwan. His research interest is in neural circuitry and development. He assists with cryosectioning and staining in the lab. He is also learning patch clamp and will try to use this technique for further research. 

Education:

• B.S., National Taiwan Ocean University, 2012

Gabriel is a P.h.D student from Brazil admitted to the Program in Neuroscience. During his undergraduate course in Brazil at the Pharmacy-Biochemistry School at the University of São Paulo, Gabriel’s work included a rodent animal model of Parkinson’s disease, pharmacological manipulation of the dopaminergic system, and neuroinflammation. His current project at the Lu lab concerns the development of astrocytes and their interactions with the cannabinoids system. Gabriel is focused on learning more about imaging acquisition techniques using confocal and 2-Photon microscopes and how to analyze 3D fluorescent cells. His favorites hobbies include running and outdoor activities with friends.

Andrea is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience Program. She graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso with a B.S. in Biology. During her undergraduate career, she investigated the role of the neuroimmune system in the formation of social attachments in prairie voles. Her research interest lies in the cellular mechanisms underlying the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Ashley is a Ph.D. student in the Lu Lab and Mackie Lab. She graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.S. in Brain Cognitive Science and a B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests include the neurobiology underlying the mood disorders and circuit development, and she strives to understand the interaction of the serotonergic system and the endocannabinoid system. Outside of the lab, Ashley enjoys making cocktails and reading novels.

Scott is a lab manager at the Lu Laboratory.

Having recently graduated from IU with degrees in Neuroscience and Human Biology, Liam is working as a research associate in the Lu Lab while he prepares his application to medical school. Liam's interest lie in adolescence as a critical developmental window and is currently conducting electrophysiological studies in mice to investigate how adolescent drug exposure might affect neuronal and network properties in adulthood. His hobbies include yoga, rock climbing, and other outdoor shenanigans.

Xuan is a recent graduate of Indiana University who majored in Neuroscience. He is currently working for the Lu Laboratory as technical support.

Patricia Franco joined the Lu Lab at Indiana University as a Research Associate on summer 2022. Patricia has a Ph.D. in Veterinary Science from Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil. Prior to joining IU, Patricia worked as a Research Associate at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital conducting pre-clinical and clinical trials with living animals in the areas of infectious diseases, parasitology, and nutrition. When not at work, Patricia enjoys running, cooking, and everything Brazil. Also, she takes road trips often with her family through the Western US.

Jeremy is an undergraduate majoring in neuroscience. He works with Gabriel on research involving developing astrocytes and their interactions with the cannabinoid system.

Jason is an undergraduate from Zionsville majoring in biology and neuroscience with a minor in East Asian languages (Chinese). He enjoys running, spending time outdoors, and spending lots of time in lab.

Trisha and Jana are the core administrators for the Gill Center and, with their invaluable assistance, have made the research of the all of the Gill Center laboratories possible.

Cody and Jesse head-up the workshop for the psychology department. They have helped in numerous ways, including lab modifications to facilitate our work and manufacture of custom tools and prototypes that aid in our ongoing research projects.