Pascal Kaeser, M.D.

Pascal Kaeser, MD – Faculty Profile

Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.

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Contact

Email: pascal_kaeser@hms.harvard.edu

Kaeser Lab website: kaeser.hms.harvard.edu

The Goal

The Kaeser Lab studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which neurons release and sense neurotransmitters to tune everything from our movements to our mood and behaviors.

The Impact

Molecular machinery in synapses controls the release and sensing of chemical messengers such as glutamate, dopamine, and serotonin. Knowing how brain cells send messages to each other gives us insight into important functions including movement, learning, and mood.

This research could lead to treatments for brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, depression, and autism.

A Closer Look

Harvard Medical School LinkedIn — August 2026: Harvard Medical School LinkedIn

Watch a sensor light up in real time and see why the signal is not always what it seems. This video highlights a Kaeser Lab discovery reshaping how neuroscientists read the brain’s chemistry.

The video focuses on how dopamine and norepinephrine sensors can sometimes mix up their signals, and why this matters for understanding Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders.

Harvard Medical School News — August 2026: Common Neuroscience Sensors Sometimes Get Their Signals Crossed

The article explains that fluorescent sensors commonly used in neuroscience research can mix up two neuromodulators: dopamine and norepinephrine. The finding highlights the importance of understanding exactly what these sensors detect when studying brain chemistry and neurological disease.

Norepinephrine-producing axons, stained green, and dopamine-producing cells, stained magenta, can be intermixed in the brain. Image: Ricardo López.