Juhee Haam
Assistant Professor
CDIB
BS: Seoul National University
PhD: Tulane University
Post Doctorate: National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Office: A609 Life Sciences Annex
Office Phone: 225-578-0772
Lab: A603 Life Sciences Annex, 613 Life Sciences Building (in renovation)
Lab Phone: 225-578-3589
Email: [email protected]
Area of Interest
My research seeks to understand the neural circuit basis of memory formation. The memory formation process is not a single-stage process that stores sensory inputs in one location. Rather, it is mediated by multi-stage processes (i.e. encoding and consolidation) that involve communications between different brain regions. Encoding is described as forming quick temporary memories in the hippocampus, which inherits information from the neocortex that initially receives sensory inputs. Consolidation refers to the process of forming long-term memories in the neocortex, which receives recently encoded hippocampal information. As these two memory stages operate in mutually exclusive modes (i.e. encoding during waking and consolidation during sleep) and are differentially modulated by external signals, studying these distinct memory formation processes is crucial in order to fully understand the mechanism of memory formation. Using a variety of in vitro and in vivo recording approaches such as fiber photometry, electrophysiology, and miniature microscopy, I aim to investigate neural circuits responsible for memory consolidation and how these circuits are altered in disrupted metabolism and dementia. In addition, I use optogenetics and chemogenetics along with behavioral testing to assess the functionality of a specific memory circuit.
If you are a student or postdoc interested in joining my research team, please contact me [email protected] with a CV.
Selected Publications
Haam, J.*, Gunin, S., Wilson, L., Fry, S., Bernstein, B., Thomson, E., Noblet, H., Cushman, J., and Yakel, J.* (2023). Entorhinal Cortical Delta Oscillations Drive Memory Consolidation. Cell Reports 42(10):113267. (* co-corresponding)
Haam, J.*, Jiang, Z.*, and Tasker, J.*, Retrograde Signaling Via Dendritic Activation of Glial-Neuronal Circuits (2021). Glial-Neuronal Signaling in Neuroendocrine Systems, Springer. (* co-corresponding)
Popescu, I., Buraei, Z., Haam, J., Weng, F.-J., and Tasker, J. (2019). Lactation induces increased IPSC bursting in oxytocinergic neurons, Physiological Reports, 7(8), e14047.
Chen, S.H., Haam, J., Walker, M., Scappini, E., Naughton, J., Martin, N.P. (2019), Recombinant Viral Vectors as Neuroscience Tools. Current Protocols in Neuroscience, 87(1), e67.
Chen, S.H., Haam, J., Walker, M., Scappini, E., Naughton, J., Martin, N.P. (2019). Production of Viral Constructs for Neuroanatomy, Calcium Imaging, and Optogenetics. Current Protocols in Neuroscience, 87(1), e66.
Haam, J., Zhou, J., Cui, G., Yakel, J. L. (2018). Septal cholinergic neurons gate hippocampal output to entorhinal cortex via oriens lacunosum moleculare interneurons, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(8): E1886-E1895.
Haam, J., Yakel, J.L. (2017). Cholinergic modulation of the hippocampal region and memory function. Journal of Neurochemistry, Suppl2: 111-121.
Nahar, J.*, Haam, J.*, Chen, C., Jiang, Z., Glatzer, N. R., Muglia, L.J., Dohanich, G.P., Herman, J.P., Tasker, J.G. (2015). Rapid Nongenomic Glucocorticoid Actions in Male Mouse Hypothalamic Neuroendocrine Cells Are Dependent on the Nuclear Glucocorticoid Receptor. Endocrinology, 156(8): 2831-2842. (* J.N and J.H. contributed equally to the work)
Morton, L., Popescu, I., Haam, J., and Tasker, J. G. (2014). Short-term potentiation of GABAergic synaptic inputs to vasopressin and oxytocin neurons. The Journal of Physiology, 592(19): 4221-4233.
Haam, J., Halmos, K., and Tasker, J. (2014), Nutritional State-Dependent Ghrelin Activation of Vasopressin Neurons via Retrograde Trans-Neuronal-Glial Stimulation of Excitatory GABA Circuits. The Journal of Neuroscience, 34(18): 6201-6213.
Haam, J., Popescu, I., Morton, L., Halmos, K., Teruyama, R., Ueta, Y., and Tasker, J. (2012). GABA is Excitatory in Adult Vasopressinergic Neuroendocrine Cells. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(2): 572-582.