Welcome to the Lu Chen Lab

The long-term goal of our research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie synapse function during behavior in the developing and mature central nervous syustem, and how synapse function is altered in various forms of neurological disorders. In this broad research area, we are specifically interested in the following three overall themes. 

• Investigate the synaptic signaling mechanisms regulating homeostatic synaptic plasticity, the role of postsynaptic protein translation in this control, and how these signaling mechanisms are compromised in neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. Fragile X syndrome).
• Investigate interactions between retinoic acid-mediated homeostatic synaptic plasticity and other forms of long-lasting synaptic changes (e.g., Hebbian plasticity), how this interaction impacts learning and memory formation at behavioral levels, and how defective homeostatic synaptic plasticity underlies cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Investigate synaptic and circuit changes in spinal dorsal horn in peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain models.