Lindsey Macpherson, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Macpherson’s lab investigates the connectivity and plasticity of peripheral sensory circuits, especially for taste and oral/facial somatosensation. The lab primarily uses mouse models to genetically manipulate, label, trace, and monitor the activity of taste receptor cells and peripheral sensory neurons in vivo. Specific techniques include in vivo calcium imaging, intravital 2-photon microscopy, GFP Reconstitution Across Synaptic Partners (GRASP), CRISPR knock-in/knock-out, immuno/in-situ fluorescence, RNA-seq, and behavioral analysis. Research questions include: 1) Coding: How is chemosensory / somatosensory information encoded by peripheral sensory neurons? 2) Connectivity: What are the synaptic partners of specific taste receptor cell types? 3) Dynamics: How do gustatory fibers and taste synapses change during taste cell turnover? 4) Plasticity: How do drugs, age, disease, or diet affect peripheral sensory neuron connectivity and function?