TAKEHARA LAB
Mansour Azimzadeh
Postdoctoral fellow
Mansour is a postdoctoral fellow in the Takehara Lab, specializing in neuroscience and physiology. His research focuses on understanding how the lateral entorhinal cortex integrates sensory and temporal information to regulate interactions between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, a process essential for memory encoding and retrieval. Using a combination of neurophysiological and behavioural approaches, he investigates the neural mechanisms underlying memory processes and cognitive flexibility. To conduct his current research, Mansour is learning and applying techniques such as fiber photometry, calcium imaging, chemo-opto-genetics and computational methods to analyze complex neural data.
Gaqi (Jakki) Tu
Ph.D. student
While working on ischemic stroke and Huntington's disease research during my undergrad years, I was fascinated by brain sciences, from synaptic molecules to neuronal firing and to animal behaviors. I, therefore, ventured into the field of neuroscience, specifically to understand the underlying mechanism of associative memory. Here in Takehara lab, my research is focused on identifying and characterizing the role of basal forebrain cholinergic inputs to the medial prefrontal cortex in the trace eyeblink conditioning. Outside of the laboratory, I like photography and cooking.
Yixiong Sun
Ph.D. student
Data Science Institute
Doctoral Student Fellow
Yixiong is a Ph.D. candidate studying the role of hippocampal ripple and neocortical spindle coupling on memory consolidation in Alzheimer's disease. He graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Science - Honours Computer Science and Biology. Throughout his undergraduate study, Yixiong has accumulated extensive experience in the software development industry and hopes to be able to apply his computer science skills in the field of neuroscience. Now as a part of the Takehara lab, Yixiong will learn and use a variety of neuroscience techniques, including electrophysiology with LFP, single neuron recordings, and electrical stimulation, behavioural experimentation, stereotaxic surgery, and time series analysis. In his free time, he tends to go on hikes, read, and play board games with his friends.
Yangzi Chen
Ph. D. student
As a first-year PhD student, my research interests range from exploring how neural representations enable efficient memory to employing multiple state-of-the-art tools to advance research (computational model, pharmacological and genetic methods). Currently, my project focuses on understanding the roles of different information coded in the lateral entorhinal cortex play in optimizing the network state for memory encoding and retrieval. Prior to UofT, I received my bachelor's degree in psychology from Peking University. In my undergraduate study, I worked on hippocampal decoding from maze learning paradigm. Besides neuroscience, I consume literature and especially enjoy reading sociology and politics. I also have a great passion when cooking and playing video games.
Silvia Margarian
Ph. D. student
I am a second-year PhD student in the psychology department specializing in a collaborative neuroscience program. My research seeks to uncover which long-range pathways become activated during transitive inference using the c-fos tracing approach in mice and determine whether the activated pathways are necessary for this cognitive process using optogenetic manipulations. Overall, my research will help us better understand the neuronal implementation of transitive inference, a core feature of intelligent behavior.
Zihe Chen
Ph. D. student
I am a first-year PhD student in the psychology department. The goal of my project is to understand how the lateral entorhinal cortex optimizes the hippocampal-neocortical network during memory encoding and retrieval. I aim to determine whether LEC inputs to the hippocampus (eg. CA1, DG) and neocortex (eg.mPFC) are crucial for the successful encoding and retrieval of cue and spatial learning memories. Before graduate school, I completed my bachelor’s degree at UofT, with a specialization in Neuroscience. Outside of the lab, I like music and photography.
Alessia Alicandro
MSc student
I am a Masters student in the department of Cells and Systems Biology with a specialization from the Collaborative Program in Neuroscience. I am interested in the neural structures that are responsible for memory formation and retrieval, as well as the disruption of these processes, such as in Alzheimer’s Disease. My research project focuses on the anatomic pathways that are responsible for episodic memory. I aim to provide insight on the relationship between the lateral entorhinal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and thalamic region. Before becoming a graduate student I completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences at Western University. Outside of the laboratory, I like to read, spend time outdoors, and be with family and friends.
Amir Samadi
Undergraduate student
I am Amir, a third-year Psychology Specialist student with primary research interests in the intersection of Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. I am particularly fascinated by how neurochemical processes influence behaviour and cognition. My work involves hands-on experience with brain slicing, staining, and conducting behavioural tasks, deepening my understanding of neural mechanisms and their implications for Neurodegenerative diseases. Looking ahead, I am considering furthering my education through medical or graduate school, where I aim to continue exploring the complex interplay between the brain and behaviour.
Jackie Zhao
Undergraduate student
I am a fourth-year undergraduate in the psychology specialist and immunology minor programs. My research interests primarily consist of the neuropsychological mechanisms behind learning and memory, mainly in the context of neurological disorders. I work with Yangzi to investigate the lateral entorhinal cortex and its role in reinstating memory representations.
Yupeng Yao
Undergraduate student
I'm a third-year undergraduate majoring in Neuroscience and Cell and Molecular Biology, with a minor in Immunology. Currently, I'm studying with Alessia. Our research focuses mainly on identifying key neural pathways between the hippocampus and mPFC involved in transitive inference and evaluating their importance in deductive reasoning. Outside the lab, I'd like to play the piano, trumpet, and ski.
Alumni
Former postdocs
Nathan Insel, Ph.D. Assistant Professor at Wilfred Laurier University
Julien Volle, Ph.D. Research Scientist at Synapcell
Sergey Chekhov, Ph.D.
Former graduate students
Mark Morrissey, Ph.D. Post-doctoral fellow in the Tonegawar lab at MIT
Stephanie Tanninen, Ph.D. Behavioural Neuroscience Technician/Specialist, Biological Sciences Facility, University of Toronto
Xiao Tian (Tag) Yu, Ph.D. Research Associate at Advanced Microscopy Facility at UHN
Maryna Pilkiw, Ph.D. Sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto
Justin Jarovi, Ph.D.
Navdeep Lidhar Graduate student in the Martin lab at the University of Toronto Mississauga
Seyed (Bardia) Nouriziabari Student at Ryerson University
Bohan Xing
Victoria Dawson