My research interest is to investigate the neuronal circuit underlying behavior. The principal approaches used in the lab include patch-clamp recording in brain slice preparation, optogenetic and chemogenetic methods, GCaMP imaging and immunohistochemistry at both light and electron microscopy levels. We recently focus on two topics: 1. Pain mechanism; 2. LC-NE regulation of attentiveness and decision-making. We use optogenetic methods to selectively activate nerve terminals of nociceptors and study transmission at synapses of these nociceptive terminals onto dorsal horn neurons (DHNs) in spinal cord. We wish to characterize the functional changes at these synapses in chronic pain conditions and to explore the molecular and signaling factors that mediate such plastic change in synaptic function in the dorsal horn of animals with chronic pain. We are also interested in exploring the neuronal circuit that modulates tonic-regular and phasic firing of LC (locus coeruleus) neurons, which are the major NE (norepinephrine) supply to the forebrain. It has been well known that the frequency of the tonic-regular firing of LC neurons is intimately correlated to attentive level of animals engaged in a functional task, such as a Go-NoGo task. On the other hand, phasic activation of LC neurons is correlated to motor responses to cue that signal “GO” during the task. Accordingly, the understanding of synaptic mechanisms underlying can provide importnat insight into how LC-NE system can optimize behavioral performance.