Siyuan Rao
Academic Background:
Ph.D: Material Physics and Chemistry
Postdoc: Neuroengineering, Bioelectronics
Current Research:
Engineering Platform for Neural Circuits Interrogation
To understand the principles of neural circuitry mechanisms and develop effective treatments, it is essential to discover the causative link between behavioral output and cellular activity. I have been developing effective engineering tools for neural-material interfaces to investigate the dynamics of neural circuits in two main research directions: precise interventional tools for remotely controlled neuromodulation and real-time recording techniques to monitor neural dynamics. I invented a magnetic toolkit for remote neuromodulation, which allows remotely controlled release of pharmacological compounds to modulate targeted neural circuits. This chemomagnetic technique combines magnetic tools and behavioral neuroscience to enable temporally precise modulation of specific neural circuits underlying motivation and social interactions. In parallel, I am developing an optical recording system to monitor neural dynamics from multiple sites across the central nervous system in freely behaving mice with simultaneous behavioral output.