Affinity Groups

Mission Statement

Autism is one of the fastest growing childhood disorders in America. The primary goal of the Autism Affinity Group is to facilitate intellectual exchange and foster and expand an interdisciplinary autism research environment at UCLA.

In April of 2003, UCLA was funded as part of the Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment (STAART) program through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). UCLA is one of 8 STAART Centers in the U.S. and also one of 10 Collaborative Programs for Excellence in Autism (CPEA) funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The central theme of the Center’s research program involves understanding the origins of social, communicative, and language deficits demonstrated by individuals with autism. A second theme is a focus on the design and testing of experimental treatment interventions. These and other individual R01 grants serve as a source of cohesion for investigators working in autism.

One of the Center’s long-term goals is to develop systems for cooperative and collaborative investigations and attract new investigators to autism research. The Autism Affinity Group provides investigators immersed in autism research with an opportunity to share their work with junior investigators and researchers in other fields. This opens up the possibility of future collaborations cross-disciplines.

The Autism Affinity Group meets on the first Friday of each month and includes a presentation by an investigator working in the field of autism research or in a related area of science, which may lend contributions to autism research. When the budget permits, outside speakers will also participate.

How to Join:

Dan Geschwind, MD, PhD
Department of Neurology
2506A Gonda Building
Mail Code: 176122
Phone: 310-206-6814; FAX: 310-267-2401
Email: dhg@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The mission of the Black PhD Student Coalition is to foster a supportive and
inclusive community for Black PhD students at UCLA by connecting them with one another and
with Black faculty mentors. Our program addresses the critical need for a nurturing environment
where these students can thrive. By providing a safe space for dialogue, mentorship, and peer
support, we aim to mitigate the feelings of isolation and cultural disconnect that can impact
academic success and mental well-being. Our goal is to build a collaborative and supportive
network among Black graduate students across disciplines, enhance their academic
experience, and contribute to a more diverse and equitable academic landscape.

Participants

Kacie Deters (Integrative Biology and Physiology, BRI, MCIP), Elena Dominguez (NSIDP, BRI), Austin Coley (Neurobiology), Phelan Glenn (NSIDP), Ashley Crawley (Psychology), Kiya Jackson (Molecular Biology), Micah Ralston (Physiology), Niki Churchill (Public Health)

How to Join: 

Kacie Deters
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
Email: deters@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The goal of the Brain Tumor Affinity Group is to enhance communication, collaboration and synergy among the growing number of basic science and translational investigators in the field of brain tumor research here at UCLA and to promote UCLA’s visibility as a leader in the area of brain tumors locally, nationally and internationally.

Participants

Albert Lai (Neurology), Anthony Wang (Neurosurgery), Aparna Bhaduri (Biological Chemistry), Benjamin Ellingson (Radiological Sciences), Caius Radu (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Christine Mona (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Daniel Kamei (Bioengineering), David Nathanson (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Donatello Telesca (Biostatistics), Erina Vlashi (Radiation Oncology), Fausto Rodriguez (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), Gang Li (Biostatistics), Geoffrey Owens (Neurosurgery), Harley Kornblum (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Isaac Yang (Neurosurgery), Jeffrey Chiang (Neurosurgery), Jingwen Yao (Radiological Sciences), Johannes Czernin (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Kunal Patel (Neurosurgery), Linda M. Liau (Neurosurgery), Liying Zhang (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), Madhuri Wadehra (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), Marco Giovannini (Head and Neck Surgery), Matthew Brown (Radiological Sciences), Phioanh Leia Nghiemphu (Neurology), Richard Everson (Neurosurgery), Robert Chong (Neurology), Robert M. Prins (Neurosurgery), Tania Kaprealian (Radiation Oncology), Thomas Graeber (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Timothy F. Cloughesy (Neurology), Whitney Pope (Radiological Sciences), Won Kim (Neurosurgery), Yvonne Chen (Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics)

How to Join:

Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD
Professor, Department Neurosurgery
300 Stein Plaza, Suite 420
Mail Code: 690119
Phone: 310-825-5111; Fax: 310-825-9385
Email: lliau@mednet.ucla.edu

Robert M. Prins, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
300 Stein Plaza, Suite 562
Mail Code: 690119
Phone: 310-825-4207; Fax: 310-206-2093
Email: rprins@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

To promote the effectiveness of ongoing and proposed neuroscience and clinical investigations of humans and animals involving magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at the BRI, the Semel Institute, and other branches of the UCLA Neuroscience community through timely and well-appraised exchange of research methods, findings, interpretations, and theoretical models.

BACKGROUND:  Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is the oldest MRI-like neuroimaging modality. MRS measures the concentrations of biochemicals (“metabolites”) in the tissue volume scanned in the brain or other organ of an (in vivo or post-mortem) human or animal subject. MRS is non-invasive, non-destructive, can be performed on a regular clinical MRI scanner, and has no known deleterious side effects. MRS is a long established, but still evolving and highly productive neuroimaging modality. MRS research at UCLA stretches back over 30 years and important clinical applications of MRS (including assessment of brain tumors) were developed here. Recent and ongoing clinical studies involving MRS have been conducted at the Brain Mapping Center, the Staglin Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and the Department of Radiological Sciences. These studies are advancing our understanding of brain mechanisms of psychiatric and neurologic disorders and their treatments, including treatment-resistant depression, tobacco use disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, autistic spectrum disorder, alcohol use disorder, and others.

GOALS:  The UCLA MRS Affinity Group is open to all interested faculty, staff, and students at the BRI, the Semel Institute, and other branches of the UCLA Neuroscience community. The Affinity Group meets in small-group format at UCLA 1-2 times per month throughout the year. Each meeting features a speaker lecturing on an MRS topic of his or her choice. Topics include sharing of methodology, presentation of original research findings, general reviews of key subject areas, or journal club reviews of salient publications. Each meeting includes a Q&A session with the goal of encouraging interaction between participants of all academic ranks.

MRS is an evolving neuroimaging discipline. Improved methods and novel findings are emerging all the time. As in most fields, publications typically lag 2-3 years or more behind the cutting edge. At the same time, the existing MRS literature is so vast that even experienced investigators fail to exploit it fully. A further goal of the MRS Affinity Group is to help members of the UCLA Neuroscience community meet these challenges,.

The MRS Affinity Group provides communal exchange of pre-publication and existing methods and findings among MRS stakeholders and enthusiasts and all wishing to learn at UCLA. With methods we are talking about highly specific items, the “Devil in the details”. Issues of acquisition volume prescription, co-processing with structural MRI, data file format, etc. Such little items impede research, and it is our business as investigators to get past them. When investigators meet in congress we, frequently find out that one of us has or knows about a solution. With findings we are talking about novel findings that may be relevant to cross-validation of our own work, attempts to replicate work of others, ideas for new proposals, etc. Hence, a final goal of the MRS Affinity Group is to contribute in practical ways to the core research process.

How to Join:

Joseph O’Neill, PhD

Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Phone:  (310) 825-5709

Email:  joneill@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The Computational Neuroscience Affinity group provides a forum for BRI-affiliated investigators actively involved in computational research to meet to exchange ideas, to inform each other of research developments in their labs, to get updated about the new developments in the field, and to promote interaction or collaboration among the labs. The goal of this affinity group is to try and to fill this void, to help promote a community of computational neuroscience researchers with a more vigorous interaction within the community at UCLA as well as a more active interaction with other computational neuroscience researchers in Southern California.

We plan to have one meeting per month. These meetings will include a seminar given by an invited speaker from anywhere in California or afar. All presentations will be followed by discussion. The presentations by invited speakers will serve to update our affinity group members about new advancements in the field, and to create connections with relevant researchers in neighboring universities. The presentations by the affinity group members will serve to inform the group about the research work of our colleagues, to provide opportunities to get valuable feedback, and opportunities for collaboration between labs.

Participants

Our participants include faculty, postdocs, grad students and undergrad students from a variety of departments and programs across campus including Psychology, Statistics, Neurobiology, Computer Science, Medical School, Communications, Physiology, and so on. The faculty member participants at UCLA include (but are not limited to):

Mario Dipoppa (Neurobiology), James Bisley (Neurobiology), Tad Blair (Psychology), Dean Buonomano (Neurobiology), Patricia Cheng (Psychology), Tom Chou (Biomathematics), Keith Holyoak (Psychology), Alicia Izquierdo (Psychology), Barbara Knowlton (Psychology), Zili Liu (Psychology), Hongjing Lu (Psychology), Martin Monti (Psychology), Charles Ratliff (Jules Stein Eye Institute), Dario Ringach (Neurobiology), Jesse Rissman (Psychology), Stefano Soatto (Computer Science), Anne Warlaumont (Communications), James Thomas (Psychology), Luminita Vese (Mathematics), Tao Gao (Statistics)

How to Join:

Ladan Shams
Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences
7445B Franz Hall
Mail Code: 156304
Phone: 310-206-3630; FAX: 310-206-5895
Email: ladan@psych.ucla.edu

Saul Ivan Quintero Macias
Department of Psychology
Email: saulivan@g.ucla.edu

Kimia Kamal
Department of Psychology
Email: kkamal@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

Understanding how we make decisions has enormous welfare and policy implications, in addition to being of great philosophical interest. Consequently, the scientific study of decision making—in both healthy and disordered states—has attracted enduring scholarly interest across a range of fields including psychology, economics, behavioral ecology, and neuroscience.

This sustained interest in decision making, however, has not always translated to interdisciplinary understanding. Many threads of decision making-relevant work have evolved largely independently of each other in different fields despite shared questions and common foundations. The goal of this affinity group is to bring diverse perspectives on decision making to bear on the goal of understanding the brain computations that underpin decisions. Our hope is to forge interdisciplinary links across departments, graduate programs, and research groups at UCLA, and in this next year of funding, specifically enhance engagement with the Caltech Decision Neuroscience community.

Participants

Aaron Blaisdell (Psychology), Dan Blumstein (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), Dean Buonomano (Neurobiology/Psychology), Eugene Caruso (Anderson), Anne Churchland (Neurobiology), Laura DeNardo (Neurobiology/Physiology), Alicia Izquierdo (Psychology), Ian Krajbich (Psychology), Jay Lu (Economics), Sotiris Masmanidis (Neurobiology), Peter Nonacs (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), Ichiro Obara (Economics), Reza Tadayonnejad (Psychiatry), Kate Wassum (Psychology), Andrew Wikenheiser (Psychology)

The following Caltech Faculty are affiliated with this group: 

Ralph Adolphs, Colin Camerer, Dean Mobbs, John O’Doherty, Antonio Rangel

How to Join:

Andrew Wikenheiser
Department of Psychology
Email: amwikenheiser@psych.ucla.edu

Alicia Izquierdo
Department of Psychology
Email: aizquie@psych.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The BRI Ecological Medicine and Psychedelic Affinity Group is committed to advancing research, training, and education in three key areas: 1) cross-cultural and ecological studies, 2) biomedical research, and 3) public policy. Our primary objective is to foster collaboration among experts from diverse fields, facilitating a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to the study of ecological medicine in intersection with psychedelics. Through our work, we aim to encompass education, training, outreach, scholarship, and research, engaging scholars specializing in Indigenous and cultural studies, architecture and biophilic design, architecture, law, public health and public policy, preclinical and clinical sciences, as well as clinicians. This aligns with the overarching goals of BRI.

The Ecological Medicine and Psychedelics Affinity Group brings together interested UCLA investigators, scholars, and trainees from different departments and schools to begin addressing these pressing needs by fostering an integrated approach to the intersection of ecological medicine with psychedelic studies. Through collaboration across diverse disciplines – from neuroscience, clinical research and practice to legal studies, cultural and Indigenous studies, ecology and biophilic design in architecture and urban planning – we aim to generate robust evidence on the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, cultural implications, and ethical considerations surrounding ecological medicine and psychedelics. This initiative contributes to the development of evidence-based practices, inform public policies, and promote responsible practices within society.

1. To provide opportunities for investigators to collaborate on innovative ecological medicine and psychedelic research and scholarly work
2. To provide guidance and resources to help members navigate regulatory hurdles associated with this research.
3. To provide training and education related to the study of and research associated with ecological medicine and psychedelic-assisted therapy

How to Join:

Helena Hansen, MD, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Email: HHansen@mednet.ucla.edu

Ziva Cooper, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Email: ZCooper@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

This affinity group brings together researchers, and clinical practitioners, across domains who
share an interest in topics in electrical measurements of large-scale brain dynamics, namely field potentials, recorded by methods such as electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, electrocorticograms, intracortical local field potential recordings, and action potentials. Topics of relevance include source imaging, multi-modal recordings, functional and causal connectivity methods, oscillations, computational modeling, disease diagnostics, brain-computer interfaces, among others, at the micro and macro levels of analysis. Its mission, to promote critical analyses of recent literature on these topics, provide a central forum for exchange of ideas and education of students, and to foster novel collaborations that span disciplines.

How to Join:

Agatha Lenartowicz
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Email: alenarto@g.ucla.edu

Wentai Liu
Department of Bioengineering
Email: wentai@ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The mission of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Affinity Group is to provide an environment to discuss multidisciplinary research into the causes of intellectual and developmental disabilities, avenues to translate these findings into effective treatments for IDDs, and to disseminate these findings to the scientific, clinical, and stakeholder communities in a respectful and mutually informative way. The interests of faculty and trainees are broad and encompass different fields including neurodevelopment, genetics and genomics, cellular physiology, circadian rhythms, brain imaging and clinical interventions, among others.

The Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Affinity Group will meet on the third Monday of each month where investigators and trainees will present work in progress on a related topic. A unique aspect will be the inclusion of investigators that range from “bench to bedside” to foment dialogue and multidisciplinary collaborations. Once per quarter, the Group will hold joint virtual meetings with Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles to build upon local partnerships and clinical expertise. The seminar series will function as a central hub to disseminate and discuss research carried out by the IDDRC, providing opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations and development of Program grants.

Participants

Anne M. Andrews (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Aracely Espinosa (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Amanda Gulsrud (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Bill Lowry (Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology), Ben Novitch (Neurobiology), Samantha Butler (Neurobiology), Carrie Bearden (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Carlos Cepeda (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Christopher Colwell (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Chris Evans (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Cristina Ghiani (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Catherine Lord (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Carlos Portera-Cailliau (Neurology, Neurobiology), Derek Wong (Clinical Genetics), Daniel H. Geschwind (Neurology, Human Genetics), David Krantz (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Elizabeth Laugeson (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Guoping Fan (Human Genetics), Gina Poe (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Gerald Lipshutz (Survery, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Gary W. Mathern (Neurosurgery), Harley Kornblum (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Harry Vinters (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine), Ina Wanner (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), James T. McCracken (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Joyce Wu (Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology), Julian Antonio Martinez-Agosto (Human Genetics, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), James Waschek (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Julia W. Chang (Neurosurgery), Connie Kasari (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Ketema Paul (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Luis de la Torre-Ubieta (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Mirella Dapretto (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Michael Levine (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Mary O’Connor (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Martina Hildegard Wiedau-Pazos (Neurology), Nelson Freimer (Human Genetics, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Neil G. Harris (Neurosurgery), Nigel T. Maidment (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Peyman Golshani (Neurology), Paul E. Micevych (Neurobiology), Patricia E. Phelps (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Peter Szilagy (Pediatrics), Patricia Walshaw (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Robert Asarnow (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Ranmal Aloka Samarasinghe (Neurology), Rhonda R. Voskuhl (Neurology), Stephanie White (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Susan Bookheimer (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Sherin U. Devaskar (Pediatrics), Alcino Silva (Neurobiology), Sandra K. Loo (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Danile Snelson (English), Michael V. Sofroniew (Neurobiology), Wayne Grody (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pediatrics, Human Genetics), X. William Yang (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Ye Zhang (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Shulamite A. Green (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Adriana Galvan (Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology), Rujuta Bhatt (Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Arthur Arnold (Integrative. Biology and Physiology), Leanna Hernandez (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Allan McKenzie-Graham (Neurology), Amjad Askary (Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology), Naoki Kaneko (Radiological Sciences), Gil Hoftman (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Jimmy Hu (School of Dentistry), and Suhas G. Kallapur (Pediatrics)

How to Join:

Luis de la Torre-Ubieta, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
303 NRB
Mail Code: 176122
Phone: 310 267-5540
Email: ldelatorreubieta@mednet.ucla.edu

Harley Kornblum, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
375D NRB
Mail Code: 733222
Email: hkornblum@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

Oscillatory processes permeate every branch of biology, from circadian signaling at the molecular level, cell contractility at the cellular and tissue level, hormonal regulation across organ systems, to rhythms in physical activity and behavior at the organismal level. Emerging studies reveal that interoception of organ functions (e.g., heartbeat, blood pressure pulsation, respiratory rhythm, thermoregulation, vision and tactile perception, gut and kidney function, etc.) is achieved through oscillatory modulations of neuronal spiking events, which in turn induce pulsatile feedback along the brain-organ axis. To describe and explain these highly dynamic phenomena, especially in neurobiology, we need to integrate dynamical systems theory and mathematical modeling into our experimental paradigm. This affinity group is dedicated to tackle the role of oscillatory signaling in interoception dynamics, by inviting external speakers for quarterly in-person seminars, bringing together like-minded scientists across disciplines at UCLA, and sustaining a vibrant community interested in interoception of organ functions.

Participants

Elaine Hsiao (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Alan Garfinkel (Cardiology, Integrative Biology and Physiology), Zhilin Qu (Cardiology), Arthur Arnold (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Stephanie Correa (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Ed van Veen (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Stephen C. Cannon (Physiology), Jack Feldman (Neurobiology), Paul Micevych (Neurobiology), Hong Wei Dong (Neurobiology)

How to Join:

Ivy Xiong
Primary Coordinator
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
Email: ivyxiong@ucla.edu

Alan Garfinkel
Faculty Coordinator
Department of Cardiology, Integrative Biology and Physiology
Email: agarfinkel@mednet.ucla.edu

Elaine Hsiao
Faculty Co-coordinator
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
Email: ehsiao@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The overarching mission of the INAG group is to provide a forum for BRI-affiliated researchers and other researchers at UCLA and in the greater Los Angeles area studying any area of invertebrate neuroscience to meet monthly to: present their research in a highly interactive, informal setting; exchange ideas and receive feedback on their work; discuss new techniques, approaches, and developments in the field of invertebrate neuroscience; promote scientific interactions among labs; and foster new collaborations. This affinity group brings together faculty and trainees (undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and research technicians) studying diverse neuroscience topics using invertebrate model systems. Participating labs span all areas of invertebrate neuroscience, including but not limited to developmental, molecular, behavioral, and systems neuroscience. The INAG meetings are an invaluable resource for faculty and trainees in UCLA labs studying neuroscience using invertebrate models by providing regular opportunities for knowledge and resource sharing, skills development, networking, and mentoring.

Participants

Elissa Hallem (Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics), Pavak Shah (Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology), Larry Zipursky (Department of Biological Chemistry), David Krantz (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Jeff Donlea (Department of Neurobiology), Ming Guo (Departments of Neurology and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Katsushi Arisaka (Department of Physics and Astronomy), Mark Frye (Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology), Orkun Akin (Department of Neurobiology), Ray Hong (Biology Department, Cal State Northridge)

How to Join:

Elissa Hallem
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
Email: ehallem@ucla.edu
Phone: 310-825-1778

Mission Statement

The Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology (LNE) is a unit of the UCLA Brain Research Institute comprising 14 faculty laboratories with a common interest in neuroendocrinology, sex differences, and neural circuits underlying social behavior. The LNE fosters education and collaborative research, especially in areas concerning reproduction, social behavior, mental health and disease. The activities of the LNE include graduate and undergraduate courses in neuroendocrinology, a weekly brown-bag seminar on current topics in neuroendocrinology, exchange of research ideas and methods among member laboratories, active research collaboration among labs, opportunities for students at all levels, the annual Charles Sawyer Lectureship in neuroendocrinology and the annual Arnold Innovation Award Lectureship.

Research of the faculty spans all analytical levels, from the molecular to the behavioral. Research interests include sex determination and sexual differentiation, hormonal regulation of neural function, sex differences in disease, cellular and molecular analysis of neural development, circadian rhythms, neural regulation of gonadal and adrenal function, glial neurobiology, stress, aging, neuroendocrine immunology, growth factors and cytokines, biology of the sex chromosomes, and genetic approaches. Although the main focus is on basic research in neuroendocrinology, faculty are also involved in direct analysis of human disease and clinical trials to develop new neuroendocrine therapies.

Participants

Beau Alward (Integrated Biology and Physiology), Arthur Arnold (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Christopher Colwell (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Stephanie Correa (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Hong Wei Dong (Neurobiology), Weizhe Hong (Neurobiology, Biological Chemistry, and Bioengineering), Stephanie Leal (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Jake Lusis (Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics), Paul Micevych (Head and Neck Surgery, Neurobiology), Ketema Paul (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Barney Schlinger (Integrative Biology And Physiology), Ed Van Veen (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Stephanie White (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Emily Wu (Neurobiology)

How to Join:

Barney Schlinger
Department of Integrative Biology And Physiology
Email: schlinge@lifesci.ucla.edu

Weizhe Hong
Department of Neurobiology, Biological Chemistry, and Bioengineering
Email: whong@ucla.edu

Mission Statement

Our mission is to bring the UCLA neuroimaging community together to discuss the field’s most recent findings and methodological developments. Our emphasis is on functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), positron emission tomography (PET), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in both humans and animals. We also occasionally discuss brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), with an emphasis on how these techniques modulate cortical activity and connectivity and influence behavior. We aim to ensure that neuroimaging researchers at all levels of training have the opportunity to learn and teach within the community. We accomplish these goals by hosting meetings every-other-week throughout the academic year. These meetings typically take one of three formats: member-led article presentations and discussion, roundtable forums focused on each member’s current research, and faculty-led didactic sessions with an emphasis on best practices in neuroimaging research.

Participants

Ariana Anderson (Psychiatry), Carrie Bearden (Psychiatry), Ivanka Berglund (Karolinska Institute), Idan Blank (Psychology), Bridget Callaghan (Psychology), Jaime Castrellon (Psychology), David Clewett (Psychology); Mirella Dapretto (Psychiatry), Dara Ghahremani (Psychiatry), Shulamite Green (Psychiatry), Marco Iacoboni (Psychiatry), Katherine Karlsgodt (Psychology), Agatha Lenartowicz (Psychiatry), Edythe London (Psychiatry), Paul Mathews (Neurology), Martin Monti (Psychology), Joseph O’Neill (Psychiatry), Nicole Petersen (Psychiatry), Jesse Rissman (Psychology & Psychiatry), Jeffery Schwartz (Psychiatry), Jennifer Silvers (Psychology), Lucina Uddin (Psychiatry)

How to Join:

Jesse A. Rissman, Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
6639 Franz Hall
Mail Code: 156304
Phone: 310-825-4084; Fax: 310-206-5895
Email: rissman@psych.ucla.edu

Lucina Uddin
Professor-in-Residence; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Psychology
760 Westwood Plaza, 27-469
Email: lucina@ucla.edu

Graduate Student Coordinators:

Priyanka Sigar

Hoki Fung

Mission Statement

Neuromodulation Affinity Group’s goal is to strengthen transdisciplinary research and educate faculty and trainees from Neuroscience, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychology and Psychiatry departments in current neuromodulation techniques and interventions. The goal is to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms of action of various invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Transcranial Direct or Alternating Current Stimulation (tDCS, tACS), Focused Ultrasound (FUS), and how these are most effectively applied for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Participants

Ausaf Bari (Neurosurgery), Kevin Bickart (Neurology), James Bisley (Neurobiology), Yvette Bordelon (Neurology), Jeff Bronstein (Neurology), Carlos Cepeda (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Christopher S Colwell (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Juliana Corlier (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Steve Cramer (Neurology), Michelle Craske (Psychology), Kathy Cross (Neurosurgery), Walter Dunn (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Itzhak Fried (Neurosurgery), Nathaniel Ginder (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Christopher C. Giza (Neurology), Neil Harris (Neurosurgery), Marc Heiser (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Marco Iacoboni (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), David Krantz (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Taylor Kuhn (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Jean-Philippe Langevin (Neurosurgery), Andrew Leuchter (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Michael Levine (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Jennifer Levitt (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Sandra Loo (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Dejan Markovic (Electrical Engineering), James McGough (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Martin Monti (Psychology), Katherine Narr (Neurology), Nicole Peterson (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Aaron Slan (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Thomas Strouse (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Nanthia Suthana (Neurosurgery, Psychology), Reza Tadayon-Nejad (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Scott Wilke (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences)

How to Join:

Juliana Corlier
UCLA Neuromodulation Division
Email: jcorlier@mednet.ucla.edu

Aaron Slan
Department of Psychiatry
Email: aslan@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

Effective science communication builds trust between scientists and the public, inspires the next generation of scientists, and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration. The Neuroscience Communication Affinity Group (NeuroComm) aims to provide science communication training for BRI graduate students. While many scientists are well-versed in conveying the technical nuances and medically translational aspects of their work to fellow academics, communication of scientific findings to non-academic audiences requires a distinct set of skills. NeuroComm participants will learn how to connect their science to broader applications and audiences. Each participant will determine a science communication domain (writing, science policy, podcasting, science illustration, social media, etc.) to focus on for the quarter, which will culminate in a final project. Our meetings will take the form of: (1) participant specific independent projects, (2) expert-led trainings, (3) group feedback sessions and (4) social events to create a network of science communicators. Our curriculum is designed to meet a major need among BRI graduate students by providing opportunities to improve science communication skills within a specific modality, gain hands-on practice with deliverable outcomes, and engage with communities within and beyond the BRI. Examples of past projects and events can be found on our website at https://www.neurocommucla.com/.

Participants

Allison Schiffman (Molecular Biology Institute), Amber Ankowski (Psychology), Amy Than (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Andy Wang (Mathematics and Applied Science), Anita Torossian (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Bar Yosef (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Caitlin Goodpaster (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Carolyn Amir (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Coby Bowman (Neuroscience Undergraduate Program), Cuining Liu (Bioinformatics), Dylan Smock (Molecular Biology Institute), Dylan Steinecke (Medical Informatics), Ebrahim Feghhi (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Elena Coley (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Elisa Fazzari (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Esther Peluso (Pharmacology), Irene Santiago (Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology), Isabel Lesmana (Neuroscience), Isabelle Hong (Cognitive Science), Isaias Roberson (Molecular Biology Institute), Ivory Hoang (Behavioral Neuroscience), Jenny An (Neurology), John Zhou (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Joy Fu (Medical Informatics), Katelyn Mooney (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Kayla Lim (Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology), Keionna Newton (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Kyla Gelev (Genetics and Genomics), Lauren Wagner (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Lauren Kupis (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Lee Atkinson (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Luis Sanchez (Opthamology), Malia Belnap (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Maneesha Thaker (Pharmacology), Matthew Anderson (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Megan Hong (Molecular Biology Institute), Megan Chappell (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Melis Cakar (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Moe Ishihara (Pharmacology), Nima Hadidi (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Ryan Shih (Molecular Biology Institute), Sarah Hong (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Sarah Blanco (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Shantée Ayala (Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology), Terry Prins (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Tierney Daw (Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology)

How to Join:

Visit website: https://www.neurocommucla.com/

Email: neurocommaffinitygroup@gmail.com

Coordinators

Megan Hong
Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program
Email: mbimegan@g.ucla.edu

Kayla Lim
Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Program
Email: kaylaylim@g.ucla.edu

Caitlin Goodpaster
Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program
Email: cgoodpaster@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The mission of TNT is to train a new generation of neuroscientists and engineers to be leaders in the field of translational neurotechnology who have expertise in the longitudinal process of translating technology from bench‐to‐bedside in clinical neurosciences. TNT is proud to offer up to 4 predoctoral and 4 postdoctoral training positions per year, with generous support from the NIH and intramural support from UCLA Schools, Institutes, and Departments.   The overall mission of the TNT is to train a new generation of neuroscientists and engineers who will be leaders in the field of translational neurotechnology and who have expertise in the longitudinal process of translating technology from bench to bedside in clinical neurosciences.

Participants

Anne Andrews (Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Mark Cohen (Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Itzhak Fried (Neurosurgery), Peyman Golshani (Neurology),  Jonathan Kao (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Wentai Liu (Bioengineering), Daniel Lu (Neurosurgery), Dejan Markovic (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Sotiris Masmanidis (Neurobiology), Harold Monbouquette (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), Gina Poe (Integrative Biology & Physiology), Dario Ringach (Neurobiology), Kalyanam Shivkumar (Medicine), Nanthia Suthana (Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Kate Wassum (Psychology), Benjamin Wu (Bioengineering)

How to Join:

Nanthia Suthana
Department of Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Bioengineering and Psychology
Email: nanthia@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement 

Contemporary neuroscience research heavily relies on the use of computational modeling, machine learning, and advanced statistical methods. Though these data-driven approaches are critical to advancing our understanding of the brain, there remains an intimidating barrier of entry for new trainees and a significant lack of representation within the fields of computational and theoretical neuroscience.

The goal of NeuroTheory is to provide an interactive forum in which trainees can learn, collaborate, and foster discussion on computational and theoretical neuroscience topics. We aim to build a collaborative network of interdisciplinary neuroscientists, provide mentorship and support for trainees and those underrepresented in the field, and break down technological barriers to navigating computational data analysis.

NeuroTheory will host coding and data analysis workshops, seminars with UCLA and external faculty, and journal clubs that focus on topics such as dimensionality reduction, Bayesian statistics, dynamic systems, machine learning, and neural network architecture. In these sessions, trainees will learn both the theory and implementation of current methods of statistical modeling and neural analyses in the fields of systems, computational, and theoretical neuroscience.

If you are interested in NeuroTheory meetings, please reach out to the faculty or student coordinators. We welcome individuals of all career stages and disciplines related to neuroscience!

Participants

Felix Schweizer (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, Neurobiology), Jennifer Lee (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Alan Garfinkel (Integrative Biology and Physiology), Alex Huk (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Anne Churchland (Neurobiology), Dario Ringach (Neurobiology), Dean Buonomano (Neurobiology), Greg Field (Ophthalmology), Jonathan Kao (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Larry Hoffman (Head and Neck Surgery), Mario Dipoppa (Neurobiology)

How to Join:

Group Email: neurotheory.ucla@gmail.com

Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/uclaneurotheory/shared_invite/zt-1hitshuwm-U7_fZ_LtVOFNtYHyVLG6Mg

Coordinators

Mario Dipoppa
Assistant Professor; Department of Neurobiology
Email: mdipoppa@ucla.edu

Letizia Ye
Graduate student; Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program
Email: uclaletizia@g.ucla.edu

Lillian Wilkins
Graduate student; Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program
Email: wilkinsl@ucla.edu

Tierney Daw
Graduate student; Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology
Email: tierneydaw@ucla.edu

Mission Statement  

Our goal for the 2024-2025 year meetings is to increase participation of basic Neurobiologists and focus on cellular/molecular mechanisms of viral pathogenesis in the CNS/PNS that may be relevant to clinical treatment and prognosis, using tissue culture and relevant animal models.

HIV and COVID 19 are both human viruses, infection by which leads to neurologic disease. HIV is a retrovirus and is clearly neurotropic,
with tropism for microglial cells in the CNS, infection of which generates downstream effects that injure brain parenchyma. Its clinical and pathologic manifestations are fairly well characterized. By contrast, COVID-19 infection (caused by a more ‘conventional’ virus SARSCoV-2) leads to neurologic morbidity in a significant percentage of infected patients, but the
mechanisms for this are heterogeneous and may include indirect effects on the brain through activation of inflammatory cascades and possible microangiopathic changes. However knowledge of HIV neuropathogenesis may be instructive for understanding many aspects of COVID 19 neuropathogenesis. The themes/topics to be discussed at this meeting will include, but are not limited to:

1. HIV and COVID-19 neuropathogenesis: similarities and differences—and how these may guide future research directions
2. How useful are animal models of COVID-19 neuropathogenesis
3. Uniquely co-infected patients—with both HIV and COVID 19—distinctive clinical & neuropathologic features and what they tell us (we have encountered a small number of such subjects)
4. Usefulness of COVID-19 brain, spinal cord and CSF samples as a resource for future research—optimization for understanding neuropathogenesis
5. Impact of new approaches to tissue studies that may be useful
6. Approaches to clinicopathologic study of ‘long term’ COVID-19 infected individuals (‘long COVID’)
7. Does COVID-19 infection impact on brain aging? If so, how is the interaction mediated?

Participants

Dr. Harry V. Vinters (Pathology & Lab Medicine, & Neurology), Dr. Shino D. Magaki (Pathology & Lab Medicine), Dr. Elyse J. Singer (Neurology), Dr. Ting Zhang (Neuropathology), Dr. Cristian Achim (Psychiatry & Neuropathology, UC San Diego), Dr. Noriko Salamon (Neuroradiology, RRUMC & David Geffen SOM), Dr. Michael Fishbein (Autopsy Service and Surgical Pathology, RRUMC & David
Geffen SOM), Dr. Shaun Yang (Pathology & Lab Medicine, RRUMC and DGSOM), Christopher Kazu Williams (Neuropathology Tissue Resource), Dr. Bennett Novitch (Neurobiology), Dr. Michael Sofroniew (Neurobiology), Dr. Dan Kaufman (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology)

How to Join:

Harry V. Vinters
Department of Neurology, Cellular & Molecular Pathology
Email: hvinters@mednet.ucla.edu
Phone: 310-825-6191

Mission Statement

The goal of this affinity group is to build a community of clinicians and scientists across UCLA focused on researching the pathogenesis and treatment of PD and related disorders. We will foster collaboration by arranging monthly work-in-progress meetings in which affinity group members will present findings from their research. We will support the next generation of PDfocused researchers by encouraging presentations by graduate students and post-doctoral scholars, providing a platform for these trainees to gain experience presenting their work and receive feedback to improve their projects. We will also host a mixer specifically for affinity trainees once per year. At least once per year we will invite an outside speaker with expertise in basic, translational, or clinical research on PD and related disorders to present their work to the affinity group. Twice per year we will hold a research project brainstorming workshop to facilitate new, interdisciplinary collaborations and the development of proposals for large-scale funding opportunities focused on PD-related research, such as the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network, the NINDS Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, a potential NINDS T32 Institutional Research Training Grant, or new funding opportunities that may arise out of the National Parkinson’s Project.

Participants

William Zeiger (Department of Neurology), Chao Peng (Department of Neurology), Jeff Bronstein (Department of Neurology), Elizabeth Videlock (Department of Medicine), Sotiris Masmanidis (Department of Neurobiology), Timothy Chang (Department of Neurology), William Flavin (Department of Neurology), Kathryn Cross (Department of Neurology), Shino Magaki  (Department of Neuropathology), Adys Mendizabal (Department of Neurology), Lindsay De Biase (Department of Physiology), Danielle Thordarson (Department of Neurology), Harry Vinters (Department of Neuropathology), Kimberly Paul (Department of Neurology), Elaine Hsaio (Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology), Keith Vossel (Department of Neurology)

How to Join:

William Zeiger
Department of Neurobiology
Email: wzeiger@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The study of clinical neuroscience, encompassing both physical injuries and the psychological impacts of trauma, is critical for understanding the complexities of brain function and recovery. The Psychological and Physical Trauma Affinity Group aims to raise awareness in the field of mental and physical trauma research within the BRI community at UCLA. By merging clinical and research seminars to address the impacts on individual and societal challenges in physical and psychological affliction of the brain, we hope to foster a community space where the BRI community can be aware of mental and physical health. From concussions to experiencing traumatic events, understanding how external factors shape our lives and health is crucial to informing the UCLA community. This affinity group seeks to introduce advances in clinical treatment and care of brain injuries, bringing together clinicians, psychologists, and neuroscientists at UCLA and beyond to advance neurotrauma research.

The Psychological and Physical Trauma Affinity Group will provide attendees with opportunities to enhance their understanding of neurotrauma and develop skills to address current challenges in clinical medicine. With nearly three-quarters of adults experiencing some form of mental or physical trauma, understanding the current standard of care and cutting-edge research is essential for introducing trainees to clinical and research practices. Through structured seminars led by world-renowned experts at UCLA and beyond, members will gain education on critical topics such as brain injury, rehabilitation, and the mental health impacts of trauma. Workshops and lectures will be open to the BRI UCLA neuroscience community, offering education on topics not typically covered in the graduate curriculum. These seminars aim to equip participants with practical skills and insights to emphasize the importance of neurotrauma research and its impact on individuals and society.

By bringing together researchers from neuroscience, psychology, bioengineering, and medical students from the David Geffen School of Medicine, our goal is to create an environment of interdisciplinary communication and shared purpose. This group aims to cover a wide scope of neuroscience research, from concussions to post-traumatic stress disorder, through periodic seminars and open discussions. The topics covered will include fear and avoidance, traumatic brain injury, and sleep research. The group’s activities will promote interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative research, and effective clinical practices, ultimately advancing the field of brain health.

With ongoing world events, including protests, conflicts, and violence, understanding and discussing mental health has never been more critical, and this program seeks to address these challenges for trainees and experts alike in an academically driven environment. This affinity group was inspired by trainees who have experienced traumatic mental and physical stress, and expressed interest in understanding the direction of treatments and research. As an additional benefit, trainees experiencing mental or physical health challenges will have a supportive environment to learn, discuss, and develop tools to advocate for their health, as well as the health of their community.

By improving access for clinicians and researchers to share their work in clinical neuroscience, we hope this community can understand how the field is progressing and connect directly with leaders driving research and recovery. The group will also play a vital role in developing advocacy strategies within the UCLA Neuroscience community and beyond. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, the Psychological and Physical Trauma Affinity Group will encourage innovative research and effective clinical practices.

Participants

Michael Fanslow (Neuroscience, Psychology), Annie Hoffman (Psychology), Neil Harris (Neuroscience), Jessica Summer (Psychology), Michelle G. Craske (Psychology), Tad Blair (Psychology), Anne Andrews (Neuroscience), Brunilda Balliu (Neuroscience), Lauren Ng (Psychology), Aditya Singh (Neuroscience), Letizia Ye (NSIDP), Hemal Semwal (Neurotechnology)

How to Join:

Dr. Michael Fanselow
Department of Neuroscience, Psychology
Email: fanselow@psych.ucla.edu

Dr. Annie Hoffman
Department of Psychology
Email: hoffmana7@gmail.com

Hemal Semwal
Email: semwal@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

The mission of the UCLA Synapse to Circuit Club is to provide a forum for communication between research groups (faculty and trainees) interested in the cell and molecular biology of neurons during the formation and plasticity of neural circuits. The focus will be on genetic, biochemical and cell biological analyses of processes that include, but are not limited to, axon guidance, synapse formation, synaptic plasticity and neural regeneration. Researchers on campus are approaching these issues from different intellectual perspectives and use different experimental approaches. We believe that there is considerable potential to enrich the academic and training environment in this area by meeting weekly to discuss recent research developments in the field.

Activities

Meetings will be on a weekly basis on Friday from 3:30pm – 5:00pm with attendance from faculty and trainees (undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows). The format of the meetings is one 45-50 minute presentation by faculty and trainees. These talks will be highly interactive; unlimited time will be allowed for questions and discussions. While the majority of talks will be presentations of ongoing research, some presentations will focus on recent developments in the literature. The schedule will be set on a quarterly basis and posted, together with any relevant publications, on a web site to be developed for the affinity group. Members of the affinity group will receive weekly emails notifying them of the weekly meeting topic. To enrich the weekly meetings and to promote communication between the UCLA neuroscience community and other neuroscience research groups in California, we will invite two outside speakers from California institutions each year (one each quarter).

We expect that weekly research meetings will greatly enrich molecular neurobiology research on campus. Communication between labs with common research groups is likely to stimulate new avenues of research, spark new ideas, provide valuable feedback on ongoing research, and potentially foster new collaborations between research groups. In addition to enriching the education and training of students and postdoctoral fellows, we anticipate that by including junior, mid-level and senior faculty, the weekly meetings will provide a valuable forum for faculty mentoring. Finally and importantly, the affinity group will raise the visibility of molecular neurobiology at UCLA, which will in turn be valuable in recruiting the highest quality trainees and faculty to our institution.

Participants

Participants in the S2C include members of the following labs: Weizhe Hong, Jeff Donlea, Larry Zipursky, Laura DeNardo, Lindsay De Biase, Jack Feldman, Mark Frye, David Krantz, Mayank Mehta, Jonathan Flint, Stephanie Correa, Ben Novitch, Samantha Butler, Ye Zhang, and Stephanie White. These faculty, students, and postdocs come from both college and school of medicine departments. The meeting is open to the entire community.

How to Join:

Weizhe Hong, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry
635 Charles E. Young Dr., S
315 Neuroscience Research Building (NRB)
Los Angeles, CA  90095
Phone:  310-825-4986
Email:  whong@mednet.ucla.edu
Website:  http://www.biolchem.ucla.edu/people/faculty/weizhe-hong

Jeffrey Donlea, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neurobiology
650 Charles E. Young Drive South, CHS 63-251
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Phone: 310-206-7586
Email: jdonlea@mednet.ucla.edu
Website: http://donlealab.weebly.com

Mission Statement

1. To provide a home for interested investigators to collaborate on groundbreaking cannabis, cannabinoid, and endocannabinoid research
2. To provide guidance and resources to help members navigate funding and research barriers
3. To educate the public and health professionals about evidenced-based risks and benefits of cannabis use
4. To lay the initial groundwork for the creation of a dedicated cannabis, cannabinoid, and endocannabinoid research center at UCLA

On 1/2/18, California commenced adult-use sale of cannabis–that is, cannabis sales to anyone over the age of 21. California is now the largest legal cannabis population out of any state or country in the world. Furthermore, the federal legalization of hemp (defined as cannabis with <0.3% THC), creates an unprecedented opportunity to obtain and research federally legal naturally occurring cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) as well as the other 120+ cannabinoids which can be sourced from hemp. CBD has reached national attention as it appeared on the shelves of stores ranging from Costco to CVS, and has garnered a seemingly miraculous reputation for health benefits despite very little evidence. As a response to the urgent need for research on this matter, the UCLA Cannabinoid Affinity Group brings together interested UCLA investigators from different departments and schools to research how cannabis and its cannabinoids affect the human body and interact with the human endocannabinoid system. The faculty in the group encompass a wide range of basic and clinical research, spanning fields like pain, addiction, substance abuse, oncology, neurology, endocrine, gastroenterology, and integrative medicine.

The BRI Cannabinoid Affinity Group is dedicated to research and education of cannabis and cannabinoids, the chemical constituents of the cannabis plant. We aim to bring together experts from diverse fields to advance the understanding the plant’s impact on body, brain, and society. Our work in cannabis research spans education, outreach, and research among public health scholars, economists, scientists, and clinicians, aligning with the goals of BRI. Over the course of the past year, the Cannabinoid Affinity Group hosted faculty meetings to discuss research and educational initiatives, bimonthly journal clubs geared toward providing trainees the opportunity to present cannabinoid-related data or recently published articles, quarterly Cannabis Grand Rounds that facilitated cross-departmental discussion of the most timely cannabis-related public health concerns, an all-day event that brought together leaders from the California State Department of Cannabis Control and the University of California, Office of the President with UCLA researchers, physicians, trainees and students to the most pressing public health issues related to cannabis legalization with a keynote speaker, Dr. Julia Arnsten, Chief of Internal Medicine at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine (see Appendix 2 for program). We offered a 4 credit undergraduate and graduate course on cannabis and cannabinoid science. This course fulfills the Semel Brain and Behavioral Health minor with enrollment of 90 students. We were able to provide research opportunities to undergraduate students (we had > 10 gain research experience in our lab this year) and graduate students in the neuroscience program. All of these events and research experience opportunities would not be possible without BRI support. Of note, our faculty meetings provided a space for faculty and researchers across disciplines who are interested in cannabis and cannabinoids to communicate and connect. These meetings spurred at least 6 multidisciplinary grant applications or contracts related to cannabinoid science; 2 of these grants have been funded and others are pending review. These events highlight our work in bringing educational programs to working professionals and interested students, enriching scientific knowledge in the community.

Website

https://cannabis.semel.ucla.edu

Participants

Alex Young (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Tim Fong (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Ziva Cooper (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Giovanni Coppola (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences / Neurology), Patrick Dowling (Department of Family Medicine), Aimee Drolet Rossi (Anderson School of Business), Michael Fanselow (Department of PsychiatryLearning and Behavior), Emily Ricketts (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Christine Grella (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Arpana Annie Gupta (Department of Medicine), Larry Hoffman (Department of Surgery), Yih-Ing Hser (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Eric Hsu (Department of Anesthesiology), Ka-Kit Hui (Department of Medicine), Shaun Hussain (Department of Pediatrics), Peter Whybrow (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Christopher Evans (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Matthew Freeby (Department of Medicine), Alicia Izquierdo (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Shafali Jeste (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Eydie London (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Nelson Freimer (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Emanuel Maidenberg (Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences), Stephen Marder (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Juan Carlos Marvizon (Department of Medicine), Andrey Mazarati (Department of Pediatrics), Larissa Mooney (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Michael Ong (Department of Medicine), Roel Ophoff (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Lara Ray (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Ken Roos (Department of Physiology), Steve Shoptaw (Department of Family Medicine), Igor Spigelman (Department of Dentistry), Tom Strouse (Department of Psychiatry), Marissa Seamans (Department of Epidemiology), Don Tashkin (Department of Medicine), Darren Urada (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Joyce Wu (Department of Pediatrics), Jullian Whitelegge (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Joseph Pierre (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Karen Miotto (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Kate Taylor (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Michael Roth (Department of Medicine), Rashmi Mullur (Department of Medicine), Ravi Aysola (Department of Medicine), Tom Coates (Department of Medicine), Wendelin Slusser (Department of Pediatrics), Dara Ghahremani (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Stuart Silverman (Department of Medicine), Lee Rosen (Department of Community Health Sciences), Dan Blumstein (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), Lilian Gelberg (Department of Family Medicine), Jonathan Fielding (Fielding School of Public Health), Francy Shu (Department of Neurology), Howard Padwa (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Pamina Gorbach (Department of Epidemiology), Keith Heinzerling (Department of Family Medicine), Sean Young (Department of Family Medicine), Ian Holloway (Department of Social Welfare), Dilara Uskup (UCLA CHIPTS), Anahid Jewett (Department of Dentistry), Frances Olsen (UCLA School of Law), Dustin DeYoung (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Gary Small (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Noah Federman (Department of Pediatrics), Veena Ranganath (Department of Medicine), Chris Colwell (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Catherine Cahill (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Holly Middlekauf (Department of Medicine), Raj Bantra (Department of Family Medicine), Meeryo Choe (Department of Pediatrics), Maureen McMahon (Department of Medicine), Jeff Bronstein (Department of Neurology), Alain Touwaide (Department of Classics), James Bowie (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), Jose Calderon (Department of Medicine), Stella Cohen (Department of Medicine), Prabha Siddarth (Department of Psychiatry), Marco Iacoboni (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Siobhan Braybrook (Department of Psychiatry), Prita Gupta (Department of Medicine), Wenqui Feng (Department of Psychiatry), Lara Ray (Department of Psychology), Siamak Rahman (Department of Anesthesiology), David Meriwether (Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology), Julio Meza (Department of Family Medicine), Lin Chang (Department of Medicine), Eraka Bath (Department of Psychiatry), Elizabeth Lord (Department of Orthopedic Surgery), Andrea Rapkin (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology), Raj Raggar (Department of Medicine), Nick Bernthal (Department of Orthopedic Surgery), Jen Fulcher (Department of Medicine), Mitch Wong (Department of Medicine), Rajesh Kumar (Department of Anesthesiology, Radiological Sciences, and Bioengineering), Susana Vacas (Department of Anesthesiology), Dallas Swendeman (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Neil Garg (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), Stephanie Lake (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Nesta Marley (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Conor Murray (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Gina Poe (Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology), Bonnie Zima (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Brittany Bass (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Vandana Joshi (Division of Geriatric Psychiatry), Beau Kilmer (Department of Public Policy), Ying-Ying Meng (Public Health-Center for Health Policy Research), Saba Waheed (UCLA Labour Center), Robert Chlala (UCLA Labour Center), Lola Smallwood Cuevas (UCLA Labour Center), Rich De La Garza (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Betsy Hall (UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program), Elena Rosenburg-Carlson (UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services), Sandra Sacks (Department of Anesthesiology), Chris Jones (Orthopedic Surgery), David McAllister (Orthopedic Surgery), Helena Hansen (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Dorothy Wiley (School of Nursing), Elisa Pabon (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Charlie Grob (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Benjamin Meza (Department of Pediatrics), Jian Li (School of Public Health), Gill Hoffman (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Dhruv Khurana (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Marc Weintraub (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), David Miklowitz (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Robert Suddath (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Robert Whittington (Department of Anesthesiology), Joseph Ventura (Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Jerry Marker (Department of Anesthesiology), Nicolas Massaly (Department of Anesthesiology)

How to Join:

Ziva Cooper, Ph.D
Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
Email: zcooper@mednet.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

Within the umbrella of Neuroscience, Visual Neuroscience has emerged as one of the first truly cross-disciplinary endeavors covering all experimental facets from molecular and cellular processes, to higher-level physiology and vision psychophysics. Experiments on vertebrate and invertebrate visual systems over the past half-century have provided a general framework for the design and function of neural systems that compute information and confer exquisite characteristics. This affinity group was built a few years ago, on the grounds that despite UCLA’s strengths in every experimental facet of vision science, Visual Neuroscience had never been used as an organizational structure for bringing together vision scientists. With several recent hires in the area, and a growing community of interested students, the time is even more right to foster community and develop intellectual and scientific connections within this domain. The mission of the Visual Neurosciences Affinity Group is thus to provide a forum for participants to interact across levels of biological and psychological investigation, and forge collaborations that will further extend our understanding of the function (and dysfunction) of the visual system.

Bi-weekly meetings of the affinity group, beginning on Sept 15 and ending in June, will focus on the detailed presentation and discussion of either a current research paper of great interest, or of scientific data generated in the laboratories of the affinity group members (i.e., “work in progress” presentations). Meetings will be hosted and arranged to facilitate in-depth discussion, with substantial contributions from trainees and with strong guidance from the faculty coordinators and other members. Graduate students and postdoc trainees will receive formal instruction and feedback in their presentation. Proposal and discussion of papers and data to be presented will be facilitated by a Slack workspace, and final curation will be done by the coordinators to ensure topics of broad pedagogical and scientific value.

Please visit www.visionperceptionclub.wordpress.com for more information.

Participants

Alex Huk (PI) Anne Churchland (PI) Dario Ringach (PI) Mark Frye (PI) Larry Zipursky (PI) Josh Trachtenburg (PI) Zili Liu (PI) James Bisley (PI) Yirong Peng (PI) Greg Field (PI) Mario Dipoppa (PI) Sampath Alapakkam (PI) Joao Couto (Staff scientist) Joe Wekselblatt (Staff scientist) Rikard Frederiksen (Researcher) Felicia Davatolhagh (postdoc) Marsa Taheri (postdoc) Declan Rowley (postdoc) Giovanni Frighetto (postdoc) David Bertsch (postdoc) Xiaonan Richard Sun (physician scientist) Irma Tello Garcia (postdoc) Matteo Mariani (postdoc)

How to Join:

Alex Huk, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Ophthalmology
Phone: (512) 417-0689
Email: alexhuk@ucla.edu

Anne Churchland, Ph.D.
Department of Neurobiology
Phone: (424) 440-0603
Email: AChurchland@mednet.ucla.edu

Greg Field, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology
Phone: (512) 417-0689
Email: gregfield@g.ucla.edu

Mission Statement

WIN is a diverse group where all women and non-binary neuroscientists at UCLA can feel seen, heard, and included. In particular, we are sensitive to the intersectionality between gender and other identity markers, like race, ethnicity, and orientation. We are aware that such intersectionality can create unique challenges. WIN aims to provide an environment that helps amplify the knowledge of these unique challenges within our community. Where possible, WIN also hopes to advocate for solutions at the departmental and university level that aim to reduce the impact of such challenges on academic careers. We understand the term women as inclusive and encompassing to all who identify as women including those who are transgender, non-binary, or have gender identities other than cis-woman.

Participants

Lindsay De Biase (Physiology, Neurobiology), Adriana Galvan (Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychology), Alicia Izquierdo (Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychology), Carrie Bearden (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Gina Poe (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program) , Laura DeNardo (Physiology), Nanthia Suthana (Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Bioengineering and Psychology), Kate Wassum (Psychology), Stephanie White (Integrative Biology And Physiology), Anne Churchland (Neurobiology), Rachelle Crosbie (Integrative Biology And Physiology), Katherine Karlsgodt (Clinical Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience) , Samantha Butler (Neurobiology), Lucina Uddin (Developmental Psychology), Bridget Callaghan (Psychology), Catia Sternini (Medicine, Neurobiology), Jennifer Silvers (Developmental Psychology), Ziva Cooper (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Kacie Deters (Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program), Shula Green (Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences), Stephanie Correa (Integrative Biology And Physiology)

How to Join:

Catherine Cahill, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Email: cmcahill@g.ucla.edu

Tara Raam, Ph.D.
Department of Neurobiology
Email: tararaam@ucla.edu

Ashley Crawley
Department of Psychology
Email: akcrawley@g.ucla.edu

Anita Torossian
Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program
Email: anitatorossian@g.ucla.edu