Neural Basis of Motor Control
The Levine Lab
Levine Lab Approaches
We study spinal cord biology from molecules to systems and use a wide variety of technical approaches. And when the available tools cannot help to answer our questions, we innovate new approaches - from developing early methods for massively parallel single nucleus sequencing to being a pioneer lab in performing neuropixel electrophysiological recordings in the spinal cords of awake behaving mice. Here, we highlight several of our major techniques.
To understand the “logic” of spinal control organization and function, we study how the mammalian spinal cord formed during evolution and development. This work involves comparative investigation of the fish spinal cord, over-expression of transcription factors in fish embryos, mouse genetics, single cell ‘omics, spatial transcriptomics, enhancer analysis and manipulation, circuit tracing, and sensori-motor functional testing.
We want to know how spinal cell types and descending pathways from the brain mediate their roles in behavior. For a range of different populations, we study their connectivity, neural activity, and behavioral role and, through collaborations, a theoretical perspective on their neural computations. This work involves genetically restricted circuit tracing, designing and using viral tools, high density extra-cellular recordings of spinal neural activity, in vivo optogenetics, sensory testing, sensory-evoked reflexes, “natural" behavior assays, kinematic video analysis, and electromyography.
The current therapies for spinal cord injury are relatively blunt tools. Our lab is exploring the potential of targeted interventions, based on our deep knowledge of spinal cord cell types. This work involves mouse genetics, single cell 'omics, enhancer AAVs, spinal cord injury models, and rehabilitation training in mice.