Majid Mohajerani, PhD
Contact
majid.mohajerani@mcgill.ca
6875 Boulevard LaSalle
Montréal, QC
H4H 1R3
Office phone: 514-761-6131 #3937
Researcher, Douglas Research Centre
Associate Researcher, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
Theme-Based Group: Aging, Cognition, and Alzheimer’s Disease
Division: Basic Neuroscience
My group concentrates on neural dynamics with particular emphasis on sensorimotor integration and memory systems. We combine optical imaging (e.g., two-photon imaging), optogenetics, electrophysiology, behavioural methods and computational tools to investigate how different brain areas communicate with one another to (a) encode and consolidate memory or (b) generate motor movement based on sensory inputs. We also have an interest in structure-function relationships in the brain. The lab has expertise in optics, engineering and microscopy that allows us to develop/employ hardware tools to collect brain activity/behaviour at multiple scales. Our expertise in computational neuroscience techniques allows us to develop quantitative tools (including artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches) to understand brain dynamics and behaviour in health and brain disease. Our research currently has been mainly focused on accomplishing the following objectives:
- Studying the impact of hippocampal outflow on neocortical physiology, information processing, and plasticity
- Determining the role of neuromodulatory systems (e.g., Acetylcholine, Serotonin, Dopamine, Neuroephinephrine) in memory formation and retrieval
- Determining the mechanism by which stress changes the cellular structure, brain dynamics, and cognitive functions
- Determining the link between genetic and environmental factors, pathology deposition, brain network dysfunction and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease
- Investigating neural mechanisms underlying motor control in animal models and humans in health and after brain damage for devising new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches
- Development of software and hardware tools for the neuroscience community
Majid Mohajerani, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Douglas Research Centre and McGill University. Previously, he held an Associate Professor position at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge before joining McGill University. He holds BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neuroscience, respectively. Prior to his roles as a CAIP Chair in Healthy Brain Aging and Dementia and later as Bryan Kolb Chair at the University of Lethbridge, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia. His research program remains dedicated to exploring neural dynamics, with a particular focus on sensorimotor integration and memory systems.
Education
- M.Sc., Biomedical Engineering, AmirKabir University of Technology
- Ph.D., Neuroscience, 2007, International School of Advanced Studies
- Postdoctoral fellowship, 2013, University of British Columbia
- 2021-2024 Accelerator Award, NSERC
- 2020-2030 Bryan Kolb Professorship Chair, University of Lethbridge
- 2019-2024 Board of Governor’s Chair in Neuroscience (declined), University of Lethbridge
- 2017-2019 New Investigator Award, Alzheimer Society of Canada
- 2015-2021 Early Career Researcher Award, NSERC Discovery Grant
- 2015-2017 New Investigator Award, Alzheimer Society of Alberta & Northwest territories
- 2013-2021 New Investigator Award, Alberta Innovation Program Chair
- 2010-2011 New Investigator Henry J.M. Barnett Award, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- 2010-2013 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canadian Institute for Health Research (Focus on Stroke)
- 2008-2011 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
- 2004-2004 Research Scholarship, International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
- 2002-2006 Ph.D. scholarship, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA)
Available Positions
We are currently looking for the following:
- Postdocs and/or graduate students (Master’s and/or Ph.D. levels) to use inspirations from neuroscience to improve Artificial Intelligence and, conversely, to apply Artificial Intelligence to understand brain function and behaviour.
- Postdocs and/or graduate students (Master’s and/or Ph.D. levels) to work in the development of UHF-based Internet of Things (IoT) systems and their application in the brain-machine interface.
- Postdocs and/or graduate students (Master’s and/or Ph.D. levels) interested in learning in vivo optical imaging, optogenetics, advanced behavioural assays, electrophysiological recording, and Neurotechnology. Experience in MATLAB and/or Python will be an asset.
- Undergraduates in different disciplines (e.g., Neuroscience, Biology, Psychology, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, etc.) interested in independent studies, applied studies, summer positions, co-op and honour thesis.
Interested students/applicants should send a brief description of their research interests and a CV.
Publications
2024
A systematic review of altered resting-state networks in early deafness and implications for cochlear implantation outcomes Journal Article
In: Eur J Neurosci, vol. 59, no. 10, pp. 2596–2615, 2024, ISSN: 1460-9568.
Spatial-Temporal Analysis of Neural Desynchronization in Sleeplike States Reveals Critical Dynamics Journal Article
In: Phys Rev Lett, vol. 132, no. 21, pp. 218403, 2024, ISSN: 1079-7114.
Hippocampal ripples coincide with "up-state" and spindles in retrosplenial cortex Journal Article
In: Cereb Cortex, vol. 34, no. 3, 2024, ISSN: 1460-2199.
Correction: Data-driven analyses of motor impairments in animal models of neurological disorders Miscellaneous
2024, ISSN: 1545-7885.
In: Behav Brain Res, vol. 456, pp. 114705, 2024, ISSN: 1872-7549.
The Nonclassic Psychedelic Ibogaine Disrupts Cognitive Maps Journal Article
In: Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 275–283, 2024, ISSN: 2667-1743.
2023
Restoring neuronal chloride extrusion reverses cognitive decline linked to Alzheimer's disease mutations Journal Article
In: Brain, vol. 146, no. 12, pp. 4903–4915, 2023, ISSN: 1460-2156.
Repeated multi-domain cognitive training prevents cognitive decline, anxiety and amyloid pathology found in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease Journal Article
In: Commun Biol, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 1145, 2023, ISSN: 2399-3642.
Cortical reactivation of spatial and non-spatial features coordinates with hippocampus to form a memory dialogue Journal Article
In: Nat Commun, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 7748, 2023, ISSN: 2041-1723.
Early tactile stimulation influences the development of Alzheimer's disease in gestationally stressed APP adult offspring mice Journal Article
In: Exp Neurol, vol. 368, pp. 114498, 2023, ISSN: 1090-2430.
In: Neurobiol Aging, vol. 130, pp. 154–171, 2023, ISSN: 1558-1497.
Hearing loss and impaired short-term memory in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model of amyloid-beta pathology Journal Article
In: Exp Neurol, vol. 365, pp. 114413, 2023, ISSN: 1090-2430.
Regional variation in cholinergic terminal activity determines the non-uniform occurrence of cortical slow waves during REM sleep in mice Journal Article
In: Cell Rep, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 112450, 2023, ISSN: 2211-1247.
Hippocampal conjunctive and complementary CA1 populations relate sensory events to movement Journal Article
In: iScience, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 106481, 2023, ISSN: 2589-0042.
Tactile stimulation improves cognition, motor, and anxiety-like behaviors and attenuates the Alzheimer's disease pathology in adult APP mice Journal Article
In: Synapse, vol. 77, no. 2, pp. e22257, 2023, ISSN: 1098-2396.
Sensory experience selectively reorganizes the late component of evoked responses Journal Article
In: Cereb Cortex, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 2626–2640, 2023, ISSN: 1460-2199.
Inhibition is a prevalent mode of activity in the neocortex around awake hippocampal ripples in mice Journal Article
In: Elife, vol. 12, 2023, ISSN: 2050-084X.
2022
Hippocampal gamma and sharp wave/ripples mediate bidirectional interactions with cortical networks during sleep Journal Article
In: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 119, no. 44, pp. e2204959119, 2022, ISSN: 1091-6490.
Tinnitus, sound intolerance, and mental health: the role of long-term occupational noise exposure Journal Article
In: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, vol. 279, no. 11, pp. 5161–5170, 2022, ISSN: 1434-4726.
Correction to: Tinnitus, sound intolerance, and mental health: the role of long-term occupational noise exposure Miscellaneous
2022, ISSN: 1434-4726.