Research Interests & Foci

CHOE LAB


Integrative Neurobiology of Social Behaviour

NEWS

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We are looking for postdoctoral fellows to join us!

   March 18, 2024

We have 2+ available positions - please apply with your CV and cover letter if you're interested!

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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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Iris Wang and Braeden Cowbrough join our lab as research techs!

   January 01, 2024

Welcome to our lab, Iris and Braeden!

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Aisha Rahiman and Siyao Peng join our lab as new PhD students!

   SEPT 01, 2023

Welcome to our lab, Aisha and Siyao! 

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Ash and Katy are PhD Candidates!

 July 31, 2023

Both Ash and Katy have passed their PhD comprehensive exams this summer and are now PhD candidates!

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Joshua Rychlik, M.Sc!

   September 7, 2022

Josh successfully defends his M.Sc. thesis titled "Characterization of astrocyte and oxytocin neuron activity dynamics in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus". Congratulations!

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Katy receives the prestigious NSERC doctoral award (PGS-D)!

   September 1, 2022

Katy's PhD research project will be funded by NSERC for 3 years. Well done Katy!

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Our lab was awarded a 5-year CIHR Project Grant

   JULY 14, 2022

We are grateful for this generous funding support!


Want to see more lab news? Click here!

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

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

Iris Wang


Laboratory Technician

B.Med. Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences

Braeden Cowbrough


Laboratory Technician

M.Sc. McMaster University
B.Sc. Carleton University

Jessica Chen


Undergraduate Thesis Student

Biology & PNB Undergraduate Program

Tina Liu


Undergraduate Research Student
Life Science Undergraduate Program

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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