Faculty Expert Profile

Gül Dölen, a neuroscientist with the Pedersen Brain Science Institute, is interested in the idea that psychedelics might somehow unlock an ability to learn that's normally seen only in very young brains.

Research in the Dölen lab focuses on how the brain enables social behaviors through basic neurobiological processes and works to understand the pathophysiology of autism and schizophrenia, disorders characterized by profound social and cognitive impairments, with the ultimate goal of designing mechanism-based therapies. Using a combination of well-established, cutting edge, and evolving techniques, the goal is to approach the daunting complexity of the brain armed with molecular, biochemical, optogenetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral strategies to dissect the biological basis of social behavior.