Research Interests & Foci

CHOE LAB


Integrative Neurobiology of Social Behaviour

NEWS

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Ash, Siyao, and Jess' paper was published in J Neuroendocrinology!

 September 22, 2025

In this study we used SHIELD brain clearing and lightsheet imaging to compare oxytocin neurons in two KO mouse models of autism-risk genes: CNTNAP2 and FMR1. Congratulations, Ash, Siyao, and Jess! 

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Siyao and Katrina presented at the Neuromodulators of Connection workshop in Erice, Sicily!

September 9, 2025

Siyao was awarded the Young investigator Larry Young Award for her excellent oral presentation! Congratulations Siyao!

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Siyao and Aisha are PhD Candidates!

August 6, 2025

Congratulations on successfully completing your comprehensive exams!

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Ash's review paper was published in Progress in Neurobiology!

June 6, 2025

Congrats to Ash on this review paper, part of a Progress in Neurobiology special issue "Social Neuroscience Dedicated to the Memory of Larry Young".

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Young joins our lab as a technician!

June 1, 2025

Welcome to our lab, Young!

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Katy and Josh's paper was published in eNeuro!

   May 15, 2025

In this paper, we reveal calcium dynamics of PVN oxytocin neurons and astrocytes in mice during social investigation and looming shadow threat, simultaneously imaged using two-colour fiber photometry! Huge congrats to Katy and Josh! Also, check out the blog post highlighting our paper.

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Siyao, Ash, and Katrina presented at the Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) 2025 in Toronto!

   May 3, 2025

Congratulations, Siyao and Ash!

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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!


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 has been 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


Principal Investigator

Katrina Choe


Assistant Professor
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2)

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

Read more


Staff

Jacco Renstroem



Postdoctoral Fellow

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

Khandkar (Rumky) Hossain


Laboratory Technician

M.Sc. Memorial University
B.Sc. Khulna University

Young Ki Lee



Laboratory Technician

M.Sc. Catholic University of Korea
B.Sc. Dankook University


Graduate Researchers

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 Li

Ph.D. Candidate
PNB Graduate Program


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

Aisha Abdul Rahiman

Ph.D. Candidate
Neuroscience Graduate Program

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

Jack Rosenbaum


Ph.D. Student
PNB Graduate Program


B.Sc. McMaster University 

Nita Chan


M.Sc. Student
Neuroscience Graduate Program

B.Sc. Western University


Undergraduate Researchers

Abigail Warr     Atyan Moslemian    Emily Tse     Roark Baker

Sofiyyah Oladipupo     Eshana Pararajasegaram     Atticus Phoenix

Mya Cornacchia     Zach Henderson     Gloria Chan

Vajran Sugunanavalan    Vani Chowdhary    Nicholas Lancaster

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

THREE-DIMENSIONAL QUANTIFICATION OF OXYTOCIN NEURONS IN THE HYPOTHALAMIC PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS REVEALS SEX- AND SUBREGION-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN TWO GENETIC MOUSE MODELS OF AUTISM. 

J Neuroendocrinology (2025)

Patwardhan, A.*, Li, S.*, Chen, J. and Choe, K. Y. 
*equal contribution
PubMed link

publication1

THE SOCIAL SALIENCE NETWORK HYPOTHESIS OF AUTISM: DISRUPTED NETWORK ACTIVITY, OXYTOCIN SIGNALING, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL SYMPTOMS  (review).

Progress in Neurobiology (2025)

Patwardhan, A. and Choe, K. Y. 
PubMed link

publication1

CALCIUM DYNAMICS IN HYPOTHALAMIC PARAVENTRICULAR OXYTOCIN NEURONS AND ASTROCYTES ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL AND STRESS STIMULI.

eNeuro (2025)

Sandoval, K.C., Rychlik, J. and Choe., K.Y.
PubMed link

publication1

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

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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