University of California-San Diego · NeuroscienceBanghart Lab
Matthew R. Banghart · La Jolla, California
Research Focus
Dr. Matthew R. Banghart's lab focuses on creating innovative tools that allow scientists to control neural activity in specific brain regions. By developing light-activated drugs known as photocaged DREADD agonists, the lab aims to improve methods for silencing brain cell activity with high precision. This research could enhance our understanding of how neural activity relates to behavior and has the potential for broad application in neuroscience studies.
DREADDoptogeneticsphotopharmacologyneural activitysynaptic silencing
Research Aims
4AIM 01Develop light-activated designer drugs for controlling neural activity.
AIM 02Enhance the precision of synaptic silencing techniques in the brain.
AIM 03Validate new tools using various experimental paradigms.
AIM 04Facilitate broad diffusion of findings within the neuroscience community.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturein vivo imagingfiber photometryelectrophysiologydrug developmentlight stimulation techniquesneural circuit mapping
Output against the department
Publications58bottom 14% of dept.576th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.3kbottom 24% of dept.508th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.