Rebekah Evans, PhD

Assistant Professor
PhD in Neuroscience, George Mason University
Research Building, Room EG31
Email: re285@georgetown.edu

The Evans Lab studies neural dynamics and functional connectivity in brain structures that degenerate in Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Evans’ lab uses systems, cellular, and computational neuroscience approaches to test how circuit alterations within the brain can protect vulnerable neurons from neurodegeneration. 

To probe circuitry, the Evans lab uses two-photon calcium imaging with simultaneous optogenetics to image neural activity under highly specific stimulation conditions in active brain slices. To further dissect these circuits, in vivo optogenetics and calcium imaging approaches are employed to control and record neural activity during animal behavior. At the cellular level, the Evans lab images dendrites and dendritic spines during synaptic activity to understand how specific inputs modulate information processing within a single cell. 

Research Questions: 

How does nicotine re-arrange brain circuitry to protect against Parkinson’s Disease?

How do dendrites process information from multiple long range inputs?