Welcome to the Seth Tomchik Laboratory
The brain is one of the most complex organs in the body – generating all our thoughts and feelings, directing our behaviors, and orchestrating the symphony of physiological systems that keep us alive. Learning how these processes work will unlock a deeper understanding of who we are, as well as paving the way for developing treatments for disorders that impact brain function.
Animals and humans are faced with continually changing conditions and challenges throughout their lives. In order to deal with this ever-changing set of circumstances, the brain is tasked with remaining flexible – plastic, so to speak. This ability of the brain to maintain flexibility, its plasticity, is one of its fundamental features. Plasticity shapes the development of the brain from infancy through adolescence, allows us to adjust our physiology dynamically based on the current environment, and provides a mechanism to form memories from our life experiences. Our lab is broadly interested in the mechanisms of neuronal plasticity, and how they impact learning and memory, metabolism, and neuronal development. We study these processes in the healthy nervous system and in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
For more information, see our Research Projects.
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