个人简介

Bsc, Yonsei University, Korea Ph.D. Simon Fraser University, Canada

研究领域

Animal Biology Genetics Molecular Biology Neurobiology Psychology & Behavior

We are interested in understanding how the brain is wired for processing information from the environment to generate approach-avoidance behaviours, with a particular focus on neuronal circuits that modulate anxiety. Anxiety is an emotional state that arises in anticipation of future or potential threat. In its non-pathological form, anxiety plays a protective role by preparing an organism for potential danger. In its pathological form, however, anxiety becomes exaggerated and uncontrollable, leading to debilitating and even deadly mental disorder. Accumulating evidence from neurotoxic lesion studies, from electrophysiological recording studies, and from brain imaging studies have thus far implicated the ventral hippocampus as critical to anxiety-related behaviors. Little is known, however, about which neurons within the ventral hippocampus are most relevant, and how their neuronal circuit organization relates to anxiety-related behaviors. Using the mouse as a model organism, we are studying the role of the hippocampus in approach-avoidance behaviors by various genetic approaches for neuron manipulation, including opto- and pharmacogenetics. We hope that the resultant findings yield new insights into the pathophysiology of anxiety-related disorders and potentially provide new therapeutic targets for their treatment.

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Mapping cell fate and function using recombinase-based intersectional strategies.Dymecki SM, Ray RS, Kim JC.Meth. Enzymol. 2010;477:183-213 pubmed Linking genetically defined neurons to behavior through a broadly applicable silencing allele.Kim JC, Cook MN, Carey MR, Shen C, Regehr WG, Dymecki SM.Neuron 2009 Aug;63(3):305-15 pubmed Genetic fate-mapping approaches: new means to explore the embryonic origins of the cochlear nucleus.Kim JC, Dymecki SM.Methods Mol. Biol. 2009;493:65-85 pubmed Molecular neuroanatomy's "Three Gs": a primer.Dymecki SM, Kim JC.Neuron 2007 Apr;54(1):17-34 pubmed