Tsai-Yi Lu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Ph.D., 2015, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Postdoctoral Scholar, 2015 – 2016, University of California, Los Angeles

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2017 – 2023, Johns Hopkins University

Email: xjv8bn@virginia.edu

Lab Website

Publications

1. Oligodendrocyte lineage homeostasis across the life span
2. Oligodendrocyte precursor cell reactivity during brain injury and trauma
3. Myelin loss during aging and Alzheimer’s disease

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.