Lindsay Schwarz Lab

NE neural circuits are conserved from mice to humans and responsible for mediating a myriad of behaviors. The small size of the NE neuron population suggests that heterogeneity at the molecular and organizational level enables this diversity in behavioral response. When these neuronal circuits are dysfunctional, they can contribute to anxiety disorders and other neuropsychiatric diseases. 

Current projects in the lab focus on 1) identifying molecular and anatomical heterogeneity in NE brain circuits 2) visualizing patterns of neural activity in NE circuits in vivo in behaving rodents 3) exploring the relationship between cognitive arousal and respiratory brain regions 4) determining how changes in these brain circuits contribute to diseases like anxiety and depression and 5) developing new molecular tools to target neurons based on distinct properties.

We use a wide variety of techniques to leverage our exploration of different populations of NE neurons and the organization of other neuroanatomical circuits, including viral tracing, next generation sequencing, in vivo imaging, and optogenetics. 

Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Assistant Member,  St. Jude Faculty
Department of Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital