Research Interests & Foci

CHOE LAB


Integrative Neurobiology of Social Behaviour

NEWS

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Welcome new lab members: Rumky, Jacco, and Lorenzo!

 February 1, 2025

Rumky (Khandkar) Hossain started in our lab as a laboratory technician!
Jacco Renstroem and Lorenzo Ciano also joined our lab as postdoctoral fellows! We're thrilled to have you on board.

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Siyao, Ash, and Katrina held a neuroscience workshop at WISE 2025 conference!

   January 26, 2025

Enthusiastic participants took part in mouse behavioural scoring and oxytocin cell counting, demonstrated by star PhD trainees Ash and Siyao!

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We celebrated the holiday season with a the Grinch-themed karaoke party!

   November 21, 2024

And of course, burritos! So much fun!

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The 4th 1000 Islands/Gananoque Meeting on Hypothalamic Mechanisms was a huge success!

November 8, 2024

Participating labs: Bains lab (Krembil/UCalgary), Bourque lab (McGill), Choe lab (McMaster U), Daviu lab (U of Guelph), Ferguson lab (Queens U), Inoue lab (Western U), Prager-Khoutorsky lab (McGill), with our special guest Stephane Oliet from Universite de Bordeaux!

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Ash, Katy and Katrina presented at the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society meeting in Panama City!

   June 14, 2024

There was plenty of great science, beach, wildlife, and karaoke!

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Aisha and Katrina presented at the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN) 2024 meeting in Vancouver!

   May 22, 2024

Aisha showed off her cool electrophysiology results!

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Siyao and Katrina presented at the World Congress in Neurohypophysial Hormones (WCNH) 2025 in Atlanta!

   May 17, 2024

Good times hanging out with the Bourque, Prager-khoutorsky, and Cunningham labs!

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Katy and Ash are both winners of the  IBNS travel award!

   January 31, 2024

Katy Sandoval and Aishwarya Patwardhan have both been selected to receive the highly competitive travel award for the annual meeting of International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS) in Panama City! 


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RESEARCH

The brain controls behaviour in an extremely complex manner, involving various processes at molecular, cellular, circuit, and network levels. Disease-linked gene mutations can create functional disruptions at any of these levels. In our lab, we use a multi-level, integrative research strategy to link how gene mutations associated with psychiatric disorders disrupt social behaviour.

Happy family

OXYTOCIN AND ASD

Oxytocin is a peptide hormone known to influence key components of social behaviour, such as relationship bonding and trust. We are currently investigating potential molecular and circuit mechanisms involved in impaired function of the central oxytocin system and its link to the social symptoms of ASD.

Aerial of a road

CONVERGENT AND DIVERGENT MECHANISMS IN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

Neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia have a significant genetic component. More than 100 risk genes have been identified for each condition, and a number of these overlap across disorders. On which neurobiological pathways do these gene mutations converge? Conversely, how do single gene disruptions serve as a risk factor for multiple psychiatric disorders? We aim to answer these questions using an integrative research pipeline that combines molecular, cellular, and circuit approaches in animal models.

Our research is generously supported by..

TECHNIQUES



MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

qPCR

Bulk and single-cell RNA-seq

Immunohistochemistry

Western blotting




IMAGING

Brain clearing (e.g. iDISCO, SHIELD)

Lightsheet imaging

Confocal imaging

Fiber photometry calcium imaging




ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

In vitro slice electrophysiology​
(extracellular, whole-cell patch-clamp)

In vivo multi-unit electrophysiology in freely behaving mice

oxytocin neuron


MOUSE BEHAVIOUR

3-chamber social interaction test​

Juvenile social play

​Open field test

​Y Maze



MOUSE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)

Structural MRI

Resting-state fMRI

Optogenetic fMRI

Pharmacologic MRI

PEOPLE

Katrina Choe


Principal Investigator
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2)

Postdoctoral Fellowship, UCLA
Ph.D. McGill University
B.Sc. University of Toronto

Read more

Jacco Renstroem


Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D., M.Sc., B.Sc. University of Nottingham 


Lorenzo Ciano


Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. Italian Institute of Technology
M.Sc. La Sapienza University
B.Sc. Tor Vergata University

Katy Celina Sandoval

Ph.D. Candidate
Neuroscience Graduate Program

M.Sc. University of Calgary
B.Sc. Bishop's University

Ash Patwardhan

Ph.D. Candidate
PNB Graduate Program


M.Sc. Stony Brook University
B.Sc. University of Buffalo

Siyao Peng

Ph.D. Student
PNB Graduate Program


M.Sc. University of Guelph
B.Sc. University of Toronto

Aisha Abdul Rahiman

Ph.D. Student
Neuroscience Graduate Program

M.Sc. York University
B.Sc. University of Toronto

Jack Rosenbaum


M.Sc. Student
PNB Graduate Program


B.Sc. McMaster University 

Nita Chan


M.Sc. Student
Neuroscience Graduate Program

B.Sc. Western University

Jessica Chen



Laboratory Technician


B.Sc. McMaster University

Rumky (Khandkar) Hossain


Laboratory Technician

M.Sc. Memorial University
B.Sc. Khulnar University

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

SOCIAL CIRCUITS AND THEIR DYSFUNCTION IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (review).

Molecular Psychiatry (2023)

Sato, M., Nakai, N., Fujima, S., Choe, K.Y., Takumi, T.
PubMed link

publication1

OXYTOCIN NORMALIZES ALTERED CIRCUIT CONNECTIVITY FOR SOCIAL RESCUE OF THE CNTNAP2 KO MOUSE.

Neuron (2022)

Choe, K.Y., Bethlehem, R.A.I., Safrin, M., Dong, H., Salman, E., Li, Y., Grinevich, V., Golshani, P., DeNardo, L.A., Peñagarikano,. O, Harris, N.G., Geschwind, D.H.
PubMed link

publication1

OPTOGENETIC FMRI AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF REGION-SPECIFIC CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE CEREBELLAR CORTEX AND FOREBRAIN.

NeuroImage (2018)

Choe, K.Y., Sanchez, C.F., Harris, N.G., Otis, T.S., and Mathews, P.J.
PubMed link

publication1

EFFECTS OF SALT LOADING ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF ASTROCYTES IN THE VENTRAL GLIA LIMITANS OF THE RAT SUPRAOPTIC NUCLEUS.

J Neuroendocrinology (2016)

Choe, K.Y., Prager-Khoutorsky, M., Farmer, W.T., Murai, K.K., and Bourque C.W.
PubMed link

publication2

HIGH SALT INTAKE INCREASES BLOOD PRESSURE VIA BDNF-MEDIATED DOWNREGULATION OF KCC2 AND IMPAIRED BAROREFLEX INHIBITION OF VASOPRESSIN NEURONS.

Neuron (2016)

Choe, K.Y., Han, S.Y., Gaub, P., Shell, B., Voisin, D.L., Knapp, B.A., Barker, P.A., Brown, C., Cunningham,J.T., and Bourque, C.W.
PubMed link

publication3


COMPLETE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

LINK

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Questions? Contact us!

Address:

Psychology Building
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4K1
Canada

E-mail:

choek@mcmaster.ca

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