Sleep, circadian rhythm, and neural oscillations continuously interact and are regulated by diverse neural circuits, glial activity, and molecular pathways. Our laboratory analyzes sleep–wake architecture and oscillatory dynamics using EEG/EMG and LFP recordings in mice. We further monitor cell-type-specific activity and neuromodulator dynamics with fiber photometry and manipulate defined neural and glial populations using optogenetics. We assess circadian rhythmicity and alignment using actigraphy. By integrating these multimodal recordings and interventions, we aim to uncover the brain mechanisms that regulate the sleep-wake cycle, circadian rhythms, and neural oscillations.

Nervous system dysfunctions arise across diverse disease and physiological conditions. Our laboratory investigates how various conditions converge on shared outcomes, including neuronal/glial dysregulation, abnormal neural oscillations, sleep and circadian disruption, and behavioral deficits. We combine electrophysiology, histology, and behavioral assays with fiber photometry and optogenetics to quantify brain-state dynamics and test causal circuit mechanisms. By integrating cross-condition models with multimodal measurements and causal manipulations, we aim to characterize the neurobiological and behavioral alterations that emerge across diverse contexts of nervous system dysfunction.

Neuromodulation provides a noninvasive strategy to modulate brain activity and improve functional outcomes in models of nervous system dysfunction. Our laboratory investigates multiple stimulation modalities, including 40-Hz sensory stimulation (visual and auditory), transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We examine how these interventions reshape neural oscillatory dynamics, sleep–wake regulation, and behavioral performance under different pathological or physiological conditions. By integrating these approaches, we aim to develop and validate novel neuromodulation-based interventions to improve brain-state regulation and function.

Translational research bridges mechanistic discoveries and therapeutic insights from animal models to human studies. Building on our mouse experiments, we recruit human participants to examine whether neural mechanisms and intervention effects identified preclinically can be detected and validated in humans. Using task-based paradigms, we quantify cognitive performance while simultaneously recording EEG to assess neural oscillatory dynamics. We also analyze sleep architecture and sleep-related biomarkers to evaluate how these brain-state features translate across species. Through this translational framework, our lab’s ultimate goal is to connect circuit- and cell-level findings from mouse models to human neurophysiology and behavior.

Optogenetics is a powerful neuroscience tool that enables precise, cell-type- and circuit-specific control of brain activity. Our laboratory not only applies optogenetics across diverse research programs but also actively develops advanced optogenetic systems to expand experimental capabilities. In one line of work, we engineer a near-infrared light-powered wireless optogenetic stimulator that enables fully untethered stimulation in freely moving animals. In another, we develop a vertically stacked optoelectronic sensor platform that allows localized monitoring of neurovascular coupling responses during optogenetic manipulation. Collectively, we aim to develop and validate optogenetics-based systems for broad use in neuroscience research.