Ramin Pashaie, Ph.D. - US grants

PI: Pashaie, Ramin
Proposal: 1454300

This proposal aims at establishing a novel paradigm for astrocytes, which are classically regarded as non-neuronal cells, forming only a support network for neurons. However, recent studies have provided evidence that astrocytes are involved in data processing in the cortex by regulating the neural response magnitude and duration. Furthermore, they appear to have an intermediary role in neurovascular coupling and the signaling pathways that mediate functional hyperemia are regulated by astrocytes. The PI proposes to establish a new platform technology to selectively manipulate neuronal/astrocytic activity and simultaneously record cellular/hemodynamic signals.

The PI has established track records in mentoring students and participating in outreach programs. The opportunities for training and teaching of undergraduate and graduate as well as making impact on undergraduate summer research program and K-12 outreach programs are excellent at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The applicant has provided detailed plans for the development teaching materials and courses that he plans to develop as well as how he plans to mentor and train undergraduate and graduate students. The proposed outreach program is also well developed. The applicant provides clear plan for how he plans to evaluate each component of the proposed teaching and outreach program.

The PI will combine optogenetics for modulation of cellular activity of neurons and astrocytes with spectral-domain coherence tomography to monitor hemodynamic signals, and two-photon microscopy to observe cellular activity. Since both cellular activity and hemodynamics will be triggered by means of optogenetic modulation, their correlation permits conclusions about the roles of both, astrocytes and neurons. The optogenetic and microscopy experiments will be complemented by a novel electrophysiology platform that the PI has recently developed for optogenetic electrocorticography (ECoG) experiments. Electrophysiological recording of calcium waves will permit a comparison of astrocyte activity and neuronal activity.

This award is co-funded by the Biophotonics program in the Engineering Directorate and the Neural Systems program in the BIO Directorate.

Alzheimer's disease is a devastating condition which has no cure and only some treatments for symptoms are available that do not stop the progression of the disease. This disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and the only one among the top 10 that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. The objective of this project is the development of the essential technologies to study the effect of Alzheimer's on the vascular network of the brain.

A main cause of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of a protein, called amyloid-beta in the brain tissue. Deposits of this substance form skeletal structures around the blood vessels which prevent the vessels from dilating and delivering enough oxygen and energy to active cells. This condition damages the nerve cells and contributes to the initiation or progression of the disease. The team will design and develop imaging technologies which allow the study of this specific effect in unprecedented details. They will use the collected data to develop computer algorithms to predict the state and progression of the disease based on the acquired images.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.