Dawen Cai, PhD
Crosby-Kahn Collegiate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Associate Professor of Biophysics
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Cell & Developmental Biology
NCRC B25-1688, 2800 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
[email protected]

Available to mentor
Dawen Cai, PhD
Associate Professor
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Links
  • Recent Publications
    • Qualifications
    • Research Scientist
      University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Physics, 2013
    • Postdoctoral Fellow
      Harvard University, Center for Brain Science, 2011
    • PhD
      University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2007
    • BS
      Peking University, Beijing, 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
      Exosomes define a local and systemic communication network in healthy pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
      Adem B, Bastos N, Ruivo CF, Sousa-Alves S, Dias C, Vieira PF, Batista IA, Cavadas B, Saur D, Machado JC, Cai D, Melo SA. Nat Commun, 2024 Feb 21; 15 (1): 1496 DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-45753-7
      PMID: 38383468
    • Preprint
      Artifact-Minimized High-Ratio Image Compression with Preserved Analysis Fidelity
      Duan B, Walker LA, Xie B, Lee WJ, Lin A, Yan Y, Cai D. bioRxiv, DOI:10.1101/2024.07.17.603794
    • Journal Article
      Sex Differences in Dopamine Release in Nucleus Accumbens and Dorsal Striatum Determined by Chronic Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry: Effects of Social Housing and Repeated Stimulation.
      Gonzalez IL, Turner CA, Patel PR, Leonardo NB, Luma BD, Richie JM, Cai D, Chestek CA, Becker JB. J Neurosci, 2024 Jul 17; 44 (29): DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1527-23.2024
      PMID: 38866486
    • Presentation
      A high-throughput super-resolution imaging solution for circuit and molecular profiling of brain tissue
      Cai D. 2024 Apr 10;
    • Presentation
      Mapping neuronal identities and connections in neural circuits by light microscope
      Cai D. 2024 Apr 10;
    • Preprint
      Sex Differences in Dopamine Release in Nucleus Accumbens and Dorsal Striatum Determined by Chronic Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry: Effects of social housing and repeated stimulation.
      Gonzalez IL, Turner CA, Patel PR, Leonardo NB, Luma BD, Richie JM, Cai D, Chestek CA, Becker JB. 2024 Mar 1; DOI:10.1101/2023.08.14.553278
      PMID: 37645814
    • Presentation
      Spectral Connectomics - mapping neuronal identities and connections in neural circuits by light microscopy
      Cai D. 2024 Feb 22;
    • Presentation
      High-throughput super-resolution molecular profiling of brain tissue
      Cai D. 2024 Jan 19;