PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Cristin Welle, PhD
Dr. Welle is a systems neurophysiologist with expertise in the interaction between medical devics and the nervous system. She completed her PhD in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania, and then started the Neural Interfaces Program at the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health Office of Science and Engineering Labs. In 2016, she joined the faculty of Neurosurgery and Bioengineering at the University of Colorado.
Cristin Welle, PhD
Dr. Welle is a systems neurophysiologist with expertise in the interaction between medical devics and the nervous system. She completed her PhD in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania, and then started the Neural Interfaces Program at the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health Office of Science and Engineering Labs. In 2016, she joined the faculty of Neurosurgery and Bioengineering at the University of Colorado.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
Xiaoyu Peng, PhD
Xiaoyu Peng is a circuit & synapse neurophysiologist and she is interested in the plasticity of neural circuits in development and diseases. She obtained her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and did short postdoc trainings in Princeton University and MIT. In her current project, she uses in vivo calcium imaging and optical electrophysiology to investigate the change of neural ensembles in motor cortex during learning and diseases. She is also interested in the mechanisms of gut-brain interaction, especially the ones through vagal sensory input and neuromodulation. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, writing and conversation with different people. She strives to understand brain and people, and to assist others to achieve their goals.
W. Ryan Williamson, PhD
Ryan Williamson has focused on imaging, closed-loop image analysis in the context of complex behaviors. He recently finished a project at Janelia Research Campus building the FlyPez - a fully-automated behavioral analysis system for Drosophila. He's translating those skills to the mouse and combining hardware development with software and deep learning to build a fully-closed loop skilled reaching apparatus.
Xiaoyu Peng, PhD
Xiaoyu Peng is a circuit & synapse neurophysiologist and she is interested in the plasticity of neural circuits in development and diseases. She obtained her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and did short postdoc trainings in Princeton University and MIT. In her current project, she uses in vivo calcium imaging and optical electrophysiology to investigate the change of neural ensembles in motor cortex during learning and diseases. She is also interested in the mechanisms of gut-brain interaction, especially the ones through vagal sensory input and neuromodulation. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, writing and conversation with different people. She strives to understand brain and people, and to assist others to achieve their goals.
W. Ryan Williamson, PhD
Ryan Williamson has focused on imaging, closed-loop image analysis in the context of complex behaviors. He recently finished a project at Janelia Research Campus building the FlyPez - a fully-automated behavioral analysis system for Drosophila. He's translating those skills to the mouse and combining hardware development with software and deep learning to build a fully-closed loop skilled reaching apparatus.
STUDENTS
Dailey Nettles
Dailey is completing her PhD in Neuroscience, and is studying how myelin loss influences neuronal signaling and impairs dexterous behavior, as part of a collaboration with the Hughes Lab.
Spencer Bowles
Spencer is completing his PhD in Neuroscience, and is investingating the role of cholinergic signaling in motor learning, and in VNS-driven motor improvements.
Rongchen Huang
Rongchen is completing her PhD in Neuroscience and is developing a head-fixed reaching task combined with two-photon microscopy.
Kayden Washington
A Northwestern undergraduate in Neuroscience, Kayden has joined the lab for two summers to contribute to multiple projects, including tracing vagus nerve afferent projections into the brain.
Dailey Nettles
Dailey is completing her PhD in Neuroscience, and is studying how myelin loss influences neuronal signaling and impairs dexterous behavior, as part of a collaboration with the Hughes Lab.
Spencer Bowles
Spencer is completing his PhD in Neuroscience, and is investingating the role of cholinergic signaling in motor learning, and in VNS-driven motor improvements.
Rongchen Huang
Rongchen is completing her PhD in Neuroscience and is developing a head-fixed reaching task combined with two-photon microscopy.
Kayden Washington
A Northwestern undergraduate in Neuroscience, Kayden has joined the lab for two summers to contribute to multiple projects, including tracing vagus nerve afferent projections into the brain.
FORMER LAB MEMBERS
Jordan Hickman - Jordan led the BIOElectrics Lab studies of vagus nerve stimulation to accelerate learning. He is now enrolled in Medical School here at CU Anschutz!
Dane Donegan - Completed his Masters in Modern Human Anatomy in the BIOElectrics Lab, setting up optogenetics to study cholinergic systems in motor learning. Dane is currently a PhD candidate at ETH Zurich, working on motor systems and neuromodulation.
Benjamin Temple - Before coming to the BioElectrics Lab, Ben received a BA in Philosophy from Yale and worked in clinical psychiatry research at the Denver VA. He worked on vagal nerve stimulation-related projects in the lab. Ben is currently a PhD candidate at University of California, San Diego studying motor systems in the spinal cord.
Jasmine Singh - She led the lab's human tissue program looking at the brain's response to implanted DBS electrodes, along with CLARITY tissue clearing for implants in mouse cortex.
Jordan Hickman - Jordan led the BIOElectrics Lab studies of vagus nerve stimulation to accelerate learning. He is now enrolled in Medical School here at CU Anschutz!
Dane Donegan - Completed his Masters in Modern Human Anatomy in the BIOElectrics Lab, setting up optogenetics to study cholinergic systems in motor learning. Dane is currently a PhD candidate at ETH Zurich, working on motor systems and neuromodulation.
Benjamin Temple - Before coming to the BioElectrics Lab, Ben received a BA in Philosophy from Yale and worked in clinical psychiatry research at the Denver VA. He worked on vagal nerve stimulation-related projects in the lab. Ben is currently a PhD candidate at University of California, San Diego studying motor systems in the spinal cord.
Jasmine Singh - She led the lab's human tissue program looking at the brain's response to implanted DBS electrodes, along with CLARITY tissue clearing for implants in mouse cortex.