Dawen Cai, PhD

 portrait of Dawen Cai
Crosby-Kahn Legacy Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical School
Associate Professor of Biophysics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
University of Michigan Medical School
Cell & Developmental Biology
NCRC B25-1688, 2800 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Dawen Cai, PhD
portrait of Dawen Cai
Associate Professor
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Links
  • Recent Publications

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    • Qualifications
    • Research Scientist
      University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Physics, Ann Arbor, United States
      2011 - 2013
      Other
    • Postdoctoral Fellow
      Harvard University, Center for Brain Science, Cambridge, United States
      2008 - 2011
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • PhD
      University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
      2003 - 2007
    • BS
      Peking University, Beijing, China
      1996 - 2000

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Global REACH

    Research Overview

    The Cai Laboratory develops and uses interdisciplinary techniques to study the development and functional-structural relationship of neural circuits in the Drosophila and mouse brains. We currently focus on: 1) Developing novel genetic, imaging, and computational tools for neural circuit tracing at the whole-brain scale with synapse resolution. 2) Identifying neural circuit "motifs" that specify brain functions. 3) Depicting molecular, neuronal, and circuitry mechanisms that contribute to neuron fate determination and Autism.

    Links
    • Cai Lab
    • Neurons Can Fly outreach program
    • twitter

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Advanced tissue clearing and three-dimensional imaging approaches to visualize neural innervation in the rat knee joints
      Socorro M, Gaire J, Rolim de Lavor J, Cruz-Almeida Y, Caudle RM, Smith R, Watkins SC, Allen KD, Younis J, Yan J, Wythe JD, Worley KC, Wang L, Wagenaar JB, Vivanco-Estela A, Tovias L, Tappan S, Tantry EK, Swahn H, Strinden M, Stover J, Southern KM, Smith SB, Ruiz OE, Ronan EA, de Lavor JR, Roberts A, Dasilva MCR, Ren D, Ray RS, Prieto H, Price TJ, Perry S, Pela M, Patterson F, Otto KJ, Otero M, Orange DE, Olmer M, Obeidat AM, Newton MD, Miller RE, Miller RJ, Mehta B, Martone ME, Malfait AM, Majano CF, Maerz T, Macpherson LJ, Lotz MK, Li J, Leynes C, Levites Y, Lee B, Lai Z, Kulkarni P, Ko FC, Jin Z, Jayachandran S, Ishola AO, Ishihara S, Iadarola MJ, Haelterman NA, Greene S, Goolsby B, Gandhi A, Fullam S, Freburg-Hoffmeister D, Ernberg M, Emrick JJ, Dou Z, Donnelly C, Dolwick MF, Cortez I, Constantinescu B, Chen R, Chen Y, Cela R, Carpio DL, Cai D, Boline J, Boccanfuso J, Boada MD, Bandrowski A, de Paula BB, Bae Y, Arenkiel B, Akopian AN, Watson AM, Almarza AJ. Npj Imaging, 2026 Dec 1; 4 (1): DOI:10.1038/s44303-026-00167-6
    • Journal Article
      430 Development and Multimodal Validation of the Smallest-Diameter Electrode Intracortical Array to Date in a Large Animal Model for Brain-Computer Interfaces
      Lam J, Letner J, Copenhaver M, Ward A, Slosar N, Isbrecht M, Simons J, Hite A, De La Lama Flores A, Liu H, Walker L, Patel P, Patil PG, Cai D, Willsey M, Chestek C. Neurosurgery, 2026 Mar 17; 72 (Supplement_1): 123 - 123. DOI:10.1227/neu.0000000000003964_430
    • Journal Article
      A low-cost and robust microscope hardware trigger interface board
      Walker LA, Michki SN, Li Y, Cai D. Hardwarex, 2026 Mar 1; 25: DOI:10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00734
    • Presentation
      Challenges we face with Common Coordinate Framework
      Cai D. 2026 Jan 16;
    • Journal Article
      A touch-guided neural circuit regulates motivated gnawing to maintain dental alignment
      Su XY, Ronan EA, Perry SK, Lee H, Hor CC, Fatima M, Zheng XY, Wang J, Liu S, Koecklin KHU, Wan S, Jha A, Li P, Du W, Cai D, Emrick JJ, Duan B. Neuron, 2026 Jan 1; DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2026.01.021
    • Journal Article
      CRISPR Epigenome Editing of IL1R1 Expression of Neurons that Innervate the Temporomandibular Joint or Knee Causes Reduced Sensitization to Osteoarthritic Environment
      Stover JD, Bowles RD, Cruz-Almeida Y, Caudle RM, Allen KD, Younis J, Yan J, Wythe J, Worley K, Wang L, Wagenaar J, Vivanco-Estela A, Sanchez LT, Tappan S, Tantry E, Swahn H, Strinden M, Stover J, Southern K, Socorro M, Smith S, Ruiz O, Ronan E, deLavor JR, Roberts A, Dasilva MR, Ren D, Ray R, Prieto H, Price T, Perry S, Pela M, Patterson F, Otto K, Otero M, Orange D, Olmer M, Obeidat A, Newton M, Miller R, Miller R, Mehta B, Martone M, Malfait AM, Majano C, Maerz T, Macpherson L, Lotz M, Li J, Leynes C, Levites Y, Lee B, Lai Z, Kulkarni P, Ko F, Jin Z, Jayachandran S, Ishola A, Ishihara S, Iadarola M, Haelterman N, Greene S, Goolsby B, Gandhi A, Gaire J, Fullam S, Freburg-Hoffmeister D, Ernberg M, Emrick J, Dou Z, Donnelly C, Franklin Dolwick M, Ibdanelo , Cortez , Constantinescu B, Chen R, Chen Y, Cela R, Caudle R, Lane D, Carpio , Cai D, Boline J, Boccanfuso J, Boada MD, Bandrowski A, de Paula BB, Bae Y, Ayaz B, Arenkiel B, Akopian A, Almarza AJ. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2026 Jan 1; DOI:10.1007/s10439-026-04047-3
      PMID: 41949727
    • Presentation
      How do we cognitively modulate our sensations
      Cai D. 2025 Dec 11;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Comprehensive Descending Connectivity and Transcriptomics Map of Mouse Trigeminal Nuclei in the Brainstem.
      Cai D, Hsieh J-C, Niu X, Cheng M-C. 2025 Dec 15;