Fields of Research

Neurosciences
Cellular nervous system
Medical molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins
Central nervous system
Biomolecular modelling and design
Sensory systems
Other engineering
Biochemistry and cell biology
Health services and systems
Animal cell and molecular biology
Receptors and membrane biology
Signal transduction
Synthetic biology
Peripheral nervous system
Cell neurochemistry
Nanobiotechnology
Epigenetics (incl. genome methylation and epigenomics)
Proteins and peptides

Research Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Clinical health
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
Expanding knowledge in the health sciences
Other health
Expanding knowledge in psychology
Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences

Career Best Publications

Characterization of Engineered Channelrhodopsin Variants with Improved Properties and Kinetics; Biophysical Journal
Engineering a memory with LTD and LTP; Nature
Optogenetic control of Drosophila using a red-shifted channelrhodopsin reveals experience-dependent influences on courtship; Nature Methods: techniques for life scientists and chemists
Optogenetic Inhibition of Synaptic Release with Chromophore-Assisted Light Inactivation (CALI); Neuron
ReaChR: a red-shifted variant of channelrhodopsin enables deep transcranial optogenetic excitation; Nature Neuroscience

Research Publications

A far-red fluorescent protein evolved from a cyanobacterial phycobiliprotein; Nature Methods
A self-labeling protein based on the small ultra-red fluorescent protein, smURFP; RSC Chemical Biology
A user’s guide to channelrhodopsin variants: features, limitations and future developments
An Optimized Triple Modality Reporter for Quantitative In Vivo Tumor Imaging and Therapy Evaluation; PL o S One
Broad spectral excitation of opsin for enhanced stimulation of cells; Optics Letters
Channelrhodopsin
Characterization of Engineered Channelrhodopsin Variants with Improved Properties and Kinetics; Biophysical Journal
Dual-channel circuit mapping reveals sensorimotor convergence in the primary motor cortex; Journal of Neuroscience
Engineering a memory with LTD and LTP; Nature
Fluorescent proteins for in vivo imaging, where's the biliverdin?; Biochemical Society Transactions
High-potency ligands for DREADD imaging and activation in rodents and monkeys; Nature communications
Interhemispheric connectivity potentiates the basolateral amygdalae and regulates social interaction and memory; Cell reports
Optically monitoring voltage in neurons by photoinduced electron transfer through molecular wires; National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America. Proceedings
Optogenetic approaches to vision restoration
Optogenetic control of Drosophila using a red-shifted channelrhodopsin reveals experience-dependent influences on courtship; Nature Methods: techniques for life scientists and chemists
Optogenetic excitation of neurons with channelrhodopsins: Light instrumentation, expression systems, and channelrhodopsin variants; Optogenetics: tools for controlling and monitoring neuronal activity
Optogenetic Inhibition of Synaptic Release with Chromophore-Assisted Light Inactivation (CALI); Neuron
ReaChR: a red-shifted variant of channelrhodopsin enables deep transcranial optogenetic excitation; Nature Neuroscience
Red-shifted channelrhodopsin stimulation restores light responses in blind mice, macaque retina, and human retina; EMBO Molecular Medicine
STIM1 is required for remodeling of the endoplasmic reticulum and microtubule cytoskeleton in steering growth cones; Journal of Neuroscience
The growing and glowing toolbox of fluorescent and photoactive proteins; Trends in Biochemical Sciences

Research Projects

Detection and manipulation of neuronal activities with a synthetic optogenetic activity-reporting transcription system; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Driverless axons: Steering Regeneration Towards The Light; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Driverless Axons: Steering Regeneration Towards The Light; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Independent optical excitation of the overlapping neural population in behaving animals; Lundbeck Foundation (LundF)
Novel tools for manipulating neuronal activity for behavioural studies; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Optogenetic mapping of synaptic activity and control of intracellular signaling; National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Selective optogenetic inhibition of neuropeptide release; National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Shining light on the role of neurotrophin/Trk receptor signalling in synaptic plasticity and memory formation; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Structure guided design of photoselectable channelrhodopsins; National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Uncovering oxytocin and vasopressin release and functions with novel optical tools; National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Research Candidate Supervision