Wade Regehr, Ph.D.

Wade Regehr, PhD – Faculty Profile

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

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Contact

Email: wade_regehr@hms.harvard.edu

Regehr Lab website: Regehr Lab Website

The Aim

The Regehr Lab studies dynamic regulation of connections between neurons and the role of the cerebellum in behavior.

The Impact

Synapses are not fixed, static junctions. Their strength fluctuates from one moment to the next depending on recent activity. The lab is interested in the molecular machinery behind this flexibility, as well as the broader behavioral functions of the cerebellum.

Long associated with movement, the cerebellum is now understood to play an extensive role in social behavior and cognition. This research is revealing new connections between cerebellar dysfunction and conditions including autism, schizophrenia, and ataxia, and may open new avenues for treatment.

A Closer Look

Psychology Today — May 2020: Aggressive Behavior and the “Little Brain”

This Psychology Today feature covers the Regehr Lab’s use of light-activated proteins to control cerebellar neurons. Using this method, researchers found that they could rapidly dial mouse aggression up or down, challenging the long-held view that the cerebellum is purely a motor structure.

Harvard Brain Science Initiative — April 2020: Role of the Cerebellum in Aggression

This piece, written by a Regehr Lab postdoctoral researcher, explains how a single cluster of cerebellar neurons, activated with a flash of light, can suppress territorial attacks in mice within seconds. This points to the cerebellum’s underappreciated role in emotion and social behavior.

The accompanying article image is titled “Role of the Cerebellum in Aggression.” It explains that the cerebellum contains more than half of the brain’s neurons and may have important functions beyond balance and motor coordination.