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Research Focus

Central nervous system injuries due to stroke or trauma disrupt neural circuits and result in severe deficits of functions. The brain and spinal cord have very limited capacity to reconstruct the circuit once it is damaged, and therefore none of effective therapeutic methods have been developed so far. We previously demonstrated that spared motor and autonomic circuits are dynamically reorganized after injuries and influence the recovery process of functions. These results suggest that controlling the rewiring of the circuit would lead to make proper neuronal connections that achieve functional recovery. The goal of our study is to understand the process of rewiring and its underlying molecular mechanisms and neural functions. Toward this aim, we are analyzing neural systems of both normal and injured brain and spinal cord, using cutting-edge techniques including, mouse genetics, viral tracers, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and 3D behavior analysis. We believe that this study paves the way to develop novel strategies to regenerate circuits and restore neural functions.