My research aims to understand the basic mechanisms governing brain function and neurodevelopment. Understanding normal brain development is critical for understanding the processes that go awry in diverse neurological disorders, and for developing effective therapies. 

Animals have co-evolved with complex communities of microbial organisms, and consequently this “host-associated microbiota” influences many developmental programs. It is increasingly clear that host-associated microbes are linked to behavioral, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, among others.

Successful probiotic or prebiotic interventions require understanding the specific mechanisms through which the microbiota influences neurodevelopment and behavior. I am interested in both the host and microbial sides of this interface, and have identified populations of brain cells with specific features that appear to receive microbial input during development.

I work with animals such as zebrafish to study interactions between the microbiota and brain, as their transparency and readily available genetic tools can generate insight not possible in other models. Zebrafish have a complex behavioral repertoire powered by brains with remarkable similarity to other vertebrates, so my discoveries can be extrapolated across evolutionary scales.