University of Massachusetts-Amherst · BiologyKatz Connectomics Lab
Paul S Katz · Amherst, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Paul S Katz's lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst focuses on understanding how the brain develops by constructing detailed wiring diagrams, called connectomes, of the brain in a mollusk model called Berghia stephanieae. The lab investigates how new neurons are integrated into existing neural circuits and how these connections evolve over time. This research aims to shed light on the fundamental processes of neurogenesis and help us understand neurological diseases related to improper brain development.
neurogenesisconnectomicsneural circuitsbrain developmentmollusc modelmachine learningsynaptic networks3D imaginggene expressionneurological conditions
Research Aims
5AIM 01Construct wiring diagrams of the brain at different developmental stages.
AIM 02Track changes in neural circuits as new neurons are added.
AIM 03Identify neuron types using gene expression and location.
AIM 04Analyze the organization of neuronal circuits and networks.
AIM 05Understand how brain networks adapt during neurogenesis.
Skills the Lab Values
in situ hybridizationelectron microscopy3D reconstructionmachine learningneural circuit analysisfluorescent tracinganimal model handlingdata visualizationgenetic labeling techniquescomputational biology
Output against the department
Publications171top 39% of dept.398th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.7kbottom 36% of dept.661st of 1,033
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.