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Tsai-Yi Lu

Tsai-Yi Lu

Assistant Professor, Neuroscience

Primary Location
409 Lane Road, MR4-6112
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Primary Phone Number
200.64.
Email
[email protected]

Bio & Overview

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs, or NG2 glia) comprise the largest pool of progenitor cells in the brain and continuously generate myelin-producing oligodendrocytes throughout our life until aging onset. However, how OPCs decide to commit to differentiating into oligodendrocytes and the mechanisms mediating their continual renewal have not been fully understood. My laboratory recently discovered that neurotransmitters released from neurons modulate OPC fate choices, suggesting that neuron-OPC communications play a role in myelin homeostasis, which is foundational to neuronal health and function. To understand the biological mechanisms underlying these interactions, my laboratory employs a variety of in vivo imaging approaches combined with transgenic mouse models, primary cell cultures, viral gene delivery, pharmacology, and histology, to systematically examine the distinct stages of oligodendrocyte lineage progression under both physiological and pathological conditions.

Academic Information

Department
Neuroscience

Primary Education

  • Ph.D., undefinedUniversity of Massachusettsnull
  • Postdoc Scholar, undefinedUCLAnull
  • Postdoc Research Fellow, undefinedJohns Hopkins Universitynull

Research Interests

Neuron-glia communications, brain plasticity and homeostasis, glial responses to neurodegeneration

Research Disciplines

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Neuroscience

Research Opportunities

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Neuroscience
  • Physiological Basis of Human Disease

PhD Programs

  • Microbiology
  • Neuroscience

Selected Publications

2023

Lu, T. -Y., Hanumaihgari, P., Hsu, E. T., Agarwal, A., Kawaguchi, R., Calabresi, P. A., & Bergles, D. E. (2023). Norepinephrine modulates calcium dynamics in cortical oligodendrocyte precursor cells promoting proliferation during arousal in mice. NATURE NEUROSCIENCE, 26(10), 1739-+. doi:10.1038/s41593-023-01426-0

2017

Lu, T. -Y., MacDonald, J. M., Neukomm, L. J., Sheehan, A. E., Bradshaw, R., Logan, M. A., & Freeman, M. R. (2017). Axon degeneration induces glial responses through Draper-TRAF4-JNK signalling. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 8. doi:10.1038/ncomms14355

2016

Srinivasan, R., Lu, T. -Y., Chai, H., Xu, J., Huang, B. S., Golshani, P., . . . Khakh, B. S. (2016). New Transgenic Mouse Lines for Selectively Targeting Astrocytes and Studying Calcium Signals in Astrocyte Processes In Situ and In Vivo. NEURON, 92(6), 1181-1195. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.030

2014

Doherty, J., Sheehan, A. E., Bradshaw, R., Fox, A. N., Lu, T. -Y., & Freeman, M. R. (2014). PI3K Signaling and Stat92E Converge to Modulate Glial Responsiveness to Axonal Injury. PLOS BIOLOGY, 12(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001985

Lu, T. -Y., Doherty, J., & Freeman, M. R. (2014). DRK/DOS/SOS converge with Crk/Mbc/dCed-12 to activate Rac1 during glial engulfment of axonal debris. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 111(34), 12544-12549. doi:10.1073/pnas.1403450111