Research

Our lab investigates how cells communicate and how these conversations break down in disease. At the core of our research is vesicle biology: the trafficking, fusion, and release of neurotransmitters, hormones, and proteins that coordinate brain–body health.

We ask how the brain regulates glucose metabolism through neural–endocrine circuits, and why this dialogue falters in diabetes, neurodegeneration, and aging. Neurons sense nutrients and hormones, then direct pancreatic β-cells to release insulin in precisely tuned bursts. When this feedback loop breaks, it accelerates cognitive decline, metabolic dysfunction, and age‑related disease.

To tackle these challenges, we combine basic discovery with translational engineering. Using microfluidic perifusion devices, plasma‑membrane‑on‑a‑chip platforms, single‑molecule imaging, and engineered extracellular vesicles, we:

• Decode how vesicle pools and SNARE regulators control insulin secretion and synaptic release.
• Interrogate how intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) like tau, α‑synuclein, and TDP‑43 affect synaptic transmission, spread via exosomes, and disrupt communication.
• Reprogram vesicle dynamics to restore youthful secretion in aging cells.
• Engineer EVs as therapeutic carriers for drug and gene delivery that bypass endosomes and directly rewire the cell surface proteome - addressing the undruggable proteome.