Liao Lab

Neurons, with their distinctive axonal and dendritic structures, possess the ability to receive, process, and convey information. However, alterations in neuronal morphologies can give rise to neurological diseases such as Rett’s syndrome and autism. Our ability to assist individuals facing these challenges is limited, partly due to the lack of a comprehensive link between neuronal structure and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Research in the Liao laboratory combines single-molecule imaging, genetic manipulation, whole-cell super-resolution microscopy, machine learning, and physical modeling to understand how neuron structures and functions emerge from the elementary molecular processes, under both normal development and pathological stresses. 

Our favorite model system is Drosophila which has 75% of human disease-causing genes. The Drosophila larva is translucent, which facilitates optical imaging of cellular dynamics within the entire living organism and opens opportunities for precise spatial and temporal perturbations using light.

We are interested in intriguing questions, such as: 

How do neuronal cytoskeletons arrange themselves to constitute branched structures? 

How do the neurons ensure that materials and energy are supplied throughout this structure to the places where it is needed? 

How do neurons respond to mutations, external environments, and experiences?

Ultimately, our goal is to discover fundamental physical principles underlying these questions and shed light on why aberrant neuronal morphologies are associated with diseases or experience-induced impairments. These findings may subsequently be translated into new medical therapies.

We are a new lab in the Physics and Bioengineering departments at Northeastern University, starting in January 2024. We are looking for motivated students and postdocs to join the lab!