Dr. Denise Cai joined the Department of Neuroscience at the Friedman Brain Institute in 2017 and has been an Associate Professor since 2022. Her lab combines cellular, circuit, and behavioral techniques to study how memories are stably stored and flexibly updated across time and experience. By studying memory-linking, or how events are connected when they occur closely in the time, she hopes to understand memory disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Cai is also a leader in the development of open-source neuroscience recording and analysis tools, such as Miniscope – a miniature microscope for calcium imaging in freely behaving rodents.
Prior to joining the faculty at Icahn School of Medicine, Dr. Cai was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Los Angeles, where she originally began her work on Miniscope. She completed her PhD in Experimental Psychology & Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, where she studied the role of sleep in memory in humans and mice. Her work has been recognized with several awards and honors including Allen Institute Next Generation Leaders Council, One Mind Rising Star Award, NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, among others. For more information about Dr. Cai, visit https://www.denisecailab.com/.
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Neuroscience [NEU]Education
PhD, University of California, San Diego
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2023
Friedman Brain Institute Scholar Award -
2022
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Member -
2021
Irma T. Hirschl/Monique Weill-Caulier Research Award -
2020
Mount Sinai Distinguished Scholar Award -
2020
Optogenetics GRC, Vice Chair, 2020 and Chair, 2022 -
2019
NIMH Research Grant (R01) -
2019
NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2) -
2019
McKnight Memory and Cognitive Disorder Award -
2019
NARSAD Young Investigator Award -
2018
Brain Research Foundation Award -
2018
Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award -
2018
Friedman Brain Scholar Award -
2018
Outstanding Teaching Award -
2018
Botanical Center Pilot Award -
2017
Allen Institute Next Generation Leader -
2016
One Mind Otsuka Rising Star Award
Research
If we live long enough, will our brains one day simply “max out” and run out of room, and if not, why not? Are memories formed and stored differently in the brain as we age? How does the way in which memories are linked over time affect what we remember? What role does sleep play in linking memories across time?
These are some of the captivating—and complex— questions about learning and memory we’re exploring in our lab. We use a multi-level approach integrating molecular, cellular, circuit-level, and behavioral techniques to investigate the dynamic nature of memory. Our primary research themes include memory capacity, temporal memory-linking, and sleep and memory. We’re studying the strategies the brain uses to optimize its capacity for storage; how prior learning influences future behavior; and why emotions may alter memories while we sleep. Building and sharing novel tools and technologies to help answer these and evolving questions in neuroscience is an exciting part of our lab’s work. We’re passionate about the open-source movement and committed to building a collaborative and generous neuroscience community.
Behavior, In Vivo Imaging, Learning & Memory, Cognitive Disorders, Hippocampus, Age-related Cognitive Deficits, Anxiety-related Disorders, Optogenetics, Chemogenetics, Activity-dependent Tagging
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Dr. Cai did not report having any of the following types of financial relationships with industry during 2022 and/or 2023: consulting, scientific advisory board, industry-sponsored lectures, service on Board of Directors, participation on industry-sponsored committees, equity ownership valued at greater than 5% of a publicly traded company or any value in a privately held company. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
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