http://www.omarlab.org/lab-members daily 0.75 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1d7f2cc5-f2f0-4284-a8a2-7777abcabdb4/Omar+Ahmed+Photo.jpg Team - Omar J. Ahmed Associate Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience & Biomedical Engineering https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/383e2c41-4be0-4910-a761-3ae916a36a71/sofia_andrikou.jpg Team - Sofia Andrikou Data Analysis Technician https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/b3b3a272-7b5a-43cd-a488-59deb40b2c92/ethan.jpg Team - Ethan Donoho Lab Manager & Senior Technician https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611797194856-HRTNACYA07GPFL6LIQ3U/Izabela.jpg Team - Izabela Jedrasiak-Cape Lab Manager & Senior Technician https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/3f578296-2e0e-42dc-ac23-46b152e41ecb/Ahmed_eLife_image.jpg Team - Tao Deng Whole Cell Physiology & Imaging Technician https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/cc2f3c0f-44b8-4eea-aea0-846bb8eb5223/cassie.jpg Team - Cassie Avila Graduated from Martin Sarter’s Lab at the Univ. of Michigan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611797495877-ZHTXRKW2S8XRT2TQ973J/Tyler.jpg Team - Tyler Ekins Graduated from Chris McBain’s Lab at the NIH https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/b552e079-00a7-4794-9895-89c4bb502f93/Kaiser.jpg Team - Kaiser Arndt Graduated from Dan English’s Lab at Virginia Tech https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611799288340-8G4GY02ZMLBL9RD2L7P3/sameer.jpg Team - Sameer Kailasa Graduated with a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Victoria Booth and Omar Ahmed’s Labs at the Univ. of Michigan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/2bd5b68e-7e1a-4661-a25b-064bbb9f1b0a/Armin.jpg Team - Armin Mortazavi Neurosurgery Resident MD from Georgetown University School of Medicine NIH Predoctoral Training Program Research with Kareem Zaghloul https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/89e2b221-eebf-48c2-b04f-936d25af0c12/alex_lekander.jpg Team - Alex Lekander Biopsychology https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/c28dff72-99b1-4c90-9274-fbfa5a956a66/Chloe.jpg Team - Chloe Rybicki-Kler Neuroscience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/610a8040-68bf-48c5-abde-965d4595fe54/Ahmed_eLife_image.jpg Team - Elizabeth Brouns Biopsychology Masters Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/351e0df4-02ea-4096-a33a-955939707cd9/Ahmed_splines_brain_press_release_image.jpg Team - Cayden Dodd Chemistry Rotation Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611798580745-1IZPWWIRUL2IASCZFFI9/ellen.JPG Team - Ellen Brennan Neuroscience Ph.D. Student in the lab, 2016-2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellow Now a Program Administrator, NASA Vermont Space Grant Consortium https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611799362096-NSR1KH1JZTN6KM831INV/Sharena%2BEast%2BHall%2BEH%2BSR%2BHeadshot.jpg Team - Sharena Rice Neuroscience Ph.D. Student in the lab, 2016-2021 NIH T32 Fellow Now working in the Startup Industry https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611799102683-DN5KIYXWMW1USTC1MUH3/tibin.jpg Team - Tibin John Neuroscience Ph.D. Student in the lab, 2017-2022 NSF Graduate Research Fellow Now an M.D. student at Yale University https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611799429632-G5NR60SBYL5XRBCHN7PI/danny_profilepic.jpg Team - Danny Siu Biopsychology Ph.D. Student in the lab, 2017-2022 Now working as a Data Scientist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611798461266-ELFTKDH4TH3L44K9ZCKV/megha_profilePhoto.jpg Team - Megha Ghosh Biopsychology Ph.D. Student in the lab, 2018-2023 Rackham Predoctoral Fellow Now a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Washington https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611798489648-31XNH5QG4CN6WLINOGO5/alcides.jpg Team - Alcides Lorenzo Gonzalez Neuroscience Ph.D. Student in the lab, 2017-2023 Now a Postdoctoral Fellow at Florida International University in Tim Allen’s lab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1611797092547-782HPD3Q0GH9FNX9JKMD/vaughn.jpg Team - Vaughn Hetrick Lab Manager & Lead Technician in the lab, 2016-2024 Now a commercial pilot https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/f1e6d672-4fe2-45aa-8175-38a463dc2fad/Isaac.jpg Team - Isla Brooks Physiology & Bioinformatics Technician in the lab, 2022-2024 Now a Ph.D. Student at Brown University http://www.omarlab.org/publications daily 0.75 2026-03-31 http://www.omarlab.org/contact daily 0.75 2021-01-28 http://www.omarlab.org/research daily 1.0 2026-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/c6e2ca56-4b85-40ac-bf4f-89a7b3832b96/Ekins_et_al_Graphical_Abstract.png Research - psychedelic therapeutic utility IS BROADER than currently appreciated Ekins TG*, Rybicki-Kler C*, Deng T, Brooks I, Jedrasiak-Cape I, Donoho E, Ahmed OJ (2025). Psychedelic neuroplasticity of cortical neurons lacking 5-HT2A receptors. Molecular Psychiatry PAPER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/d38d5137-01bb-4f9c-9477-e2f2e180eee0/Artboard+1.png Research - The Defining Cell Type of the Granular Retrosplenial Cortex is Radically Different Jedrasiak-Cape I, Rybicki-Kler C, Brooks I, Ghosh M, Brennan EWK, Kailasa S, Ekins TG, Rupp A, Ahmed OJ (2025). Cell-type-specific cholinergic control of granular retrosplenial cortex with implications for angular velocity coding across brain states. Progress in Neurobiology, 251:102804 PDF HTML PRESS: U-M scientists discover unique brain cell that may hold key to Alzheimer’s disorientation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/29841e16-eb6f-4052-9b7c-83521897c3b1/website_twitter_image.png Research - Weeks-long boost in cognition with single-dose psychedelic Brouns EJ, Ekins TG, Ahmed OJ (2025). Single-dose psychedelic enhances cognitive flexibility and reversal learning in mice weeks after administration. PAPER PRESS: DISCOVER MAGAZINE UM NEWS INSIDE PRECISION MEDICINE ALTMETRIC: Top 5% of all research output https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/988390bd-a71e-47ff-ba23-f685cbc05e91/Artboard+1.png Research - A definitive transcriptomic atlas of retrosplenial neurons across species Brooks I, Jedrasiak-Cape I, Rybicki-Kler C, Ekins TG, Ahmed OJ (2025). Unique Transcriptomic Cell Types of the Granular Retrosplenial Cortex are Preserved Across Mice and Rats Despite Dramatic Changes in Key Marker Genes. Journal of Neuroscience, 45(48):e2246242025 [HTML] [PDF] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/b8524bb5-5f84-4bce-b08b-1b2dbe27ab06/tao_psychedelic_neuron.jpg Research - Psychedelics Decrease Excitability & Working Memory in Prefrontal Cortex Ekins TG, Brooks I, Kailasa S, Rybicki-Kler C, Jedrasiak-Cape I, Donoho E, Mashour GA, Rech J, Ahmed OJ (2023). Cellular rules underlying psychedelic control of prefrontal pyramidal neurons. [bioRxiv PREPRINT] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/07cda261-37b0-4a8e-afb8-ce3da1fe5bee/splines_press_release_image_4.png Research - Left-Right Brain Communicate Better When Running Faster or in REM Sleep Ghosh M, Yang FC, Rice SP, Hetrick V, Lorenzo A, Siu D, Brennan EW, John TT, Ahrens AM, Ahmed OJ (2022). Running speed and REM sleep control two distinct modes of rapid interhemispheric communication. Cell Reports 40:111028 PDF HTML PRESS: PSYCHOLOGY TODAY UM PRESS RELEASE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1600710764535-YM2WIUH9AQ03I35B0GMN/ThalPreprint_twitter_omarlab.png Research - Parallel Processing in Superficial Retrosplenial Ctx Brennan EW*, Jedrasiak-Cape I*, Kailasa S, Rice SP, Sudhakar SK, Ahmed OJ (2021). Thalamus and claustrum control parallel layer 1 circuits in retrosplenial cortex. eLife, 10:e62207 PDF HTML eLife DIGEST PRESS Chosen as BIOMEDICAL PICTURE OF THE DAY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1602618075801-OCJR881NUKO74TSH0W1T/twitter_humanEpilepsyv2.png Research - Human Inhibitory Neurons Dynamically Control Seizures Ahmed OJ, John TT, Sudhakar SK, Brennan EKW, Lorenzo Gonzalez A, et al. (2020). Two modes of inhibitory neuronal shutdown distinctly amplify seizures in humans. Submitted MEDRXIV PREPRINT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1602958784134-DBD7W2MVMY83UP0KXUWQ/image-asset.png Research - Speed Distinctly Controls the Amplitude vs Shape of Theta Ghosh M*, Shanahan BE*, Furtak SC, Mashour GA, Burwell RD, Ahmed OJ (2020). Instantaneous amplitude and shape of postrhinal theta oscillations differentially encode running speed. Behavioral Neuroscience 134:6 516–528 PDF https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1580833932024-0V8DWOZRWL3MHC38Z8OG/Ahmed_Lab_Compass_Image.jpg Research - Retrosplenial Neurons can Compute like a Stable Compass Brennan EW*, Sudhakar SK*, Jedrasiak-Cape I, John T, & Ahmed OJ (2020). Hyperexcitable neurons enable precise and persistent information encoding in the superficial retrosplenial cortex. Cell Reports 30:1598–1612 PDF HTML PRESS VIDEO https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54ed4457e4b0d6a5d7471075/1580855361753-XVT4MS9KURR68I65N1UO/Figure1_WEB.jpg Research - Overlapping Sleep-Addiction Neural Circuits Ahrens AM, Ahmed OJ (2020). Neural circuits linking sleep and addiction: animal models to understand why select individuals are more vulnerable to substance use disorders after sleep deprivation. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 108:435-444 PDF HTML http://www.omarlab.org/teaching daily 0.75 2026-01-07 http://www.omarlab.org/temp daily 0.75 2016-03-22 http://www.omarlab.org/positions daily 0.75 2022-06-22