The Walsh Laboratory
Investigating the neural circuit mechanisms underlying motivated behavior
Welcome to the Walsh Lab!
We combine state-of-the art whole brain optical clearing methods, light sheet microscopy, in vivo imaging, and machine learning based behavioral analysis to elucidate the neural adaptations responsible for motivated behavior.
Selected Publications
Neural circuits regulating prosocial behavior.
Walsh JJ, Christoffel DJ, Malenka RC. (2022) Neuropsychopharmacology.
5-HT release in nucleus accumbens rescues social deficits in mouse autism model.
Walsh JJ, Christoffel DJ, Ben-Dor GA, Selimbeyoglu A, Taylor M, Hung LW, Deisseroth K, Malenka RC. (2018) Nature.
Rapid regulation of depression-related behaviours by control of midbrain dopamine neurons.
Chaudhury D*, Walsh JJ*, Friedman AK, Juarez B, Ku SM, Koo JW, Ferguson D, Tsai HC, Pomeranz L, Christoffel DJ, Nectow AR, Ekstrand M, Domingos A, Mazei-Robison MS, Mouzon E, Lobo MK, Neve RL, Friedman JM, Russo SJ, Deisseroth K, Nestler EJ, Han MH. (2013) Nature.
Stress and CRF gate neural activation of BDNF in the mesolimbic reward pathway.
Walsh JJ, Friedman AK, Sun H, Heller EA, Ku SM, Juarez B, Burnham VL, Mazei-Robison MS, Ferguson D, Golden SA, Koo JW, Chaudhury D, Christoffel DJ, Pomeranz L, Friedman JM, Russo SJ, Nestler EJ, Han MH. (2014) Nature Neuroscience.
Walsh JJ, Llorach P, Cardozo Pinto DF, Wenderski W, Christoffel DJ, Salgodo JS, Heifets BD, Crabtree GR, Malenka RC. (2021) Neuropsychopharmacology.
Selective filtering of excitatory inputs to nucleus accumbens by dopamine and serotonin.
Christoffel DJ*, Walsh JJ*, Hoerbelt P*, Heifets BD, Llorach P, Lopez RC, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Malenka RC. (2021) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
*Co-first author