BalaD&J

We study the role of genome in brain plasticity – the ability of the brain to respond and adapt to signals involved in brain circuit development, sex differences, learning and memory, and social and environmental conditions.

Measurements of gene regulation and epigenetic mechanisms are central to our approach.

We use the zebra finch as a focal organism. Zebra finches learn vocal signals, a process mediated by a discrete brain circuit and considered a unique animal model for human speech learning and for social communication.

Current research foci

  • Neuroepigenetic mechanisms in developmental reprogramming

  • Early development of systems for auditory perception

  • Neurogenomics of brain sexual differentiation

  • Neurogenomic transduction of social stressors

  • Applications of machine learning to vocal phenotypes and data sets