Dawen Cai, PhD
Crosby-Kahn Legacy Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Medical School and Associate Professor of Biophysics
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Office:
University of Michigan Medical School
Cell & Developmental Biology
NCRC B25-1688, 2800 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Cell & Developmental Biology
NCRC B25-1688, 2800 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
Available to mentor
Dawen Cai, PhD
Associate Professor
Manage Your Profile
Qualifications
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Research ScientistUniversity of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Physics, Ann Arbor, United States
2011 - 2013
Other
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Postdoctoral FellowHarvard University, Center for Brain Science, Cambridge, United States
2008 - 2011
Postdoctoral Fellowship
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PhDUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
2003 - 2007
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BSPeking University, Beijing, China
1996 - 2000
Center Memberships
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Center MemberGlobal 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
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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):Journal ArticleAdvanced tissue clearing and three-dimensional imaging approaches to visualize neural innervation in the rat knee joints
DOI:10.1038/s44303-026-00167-6 -
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 Jun 3; 114 (11): 2020 - 2033.e8.Journal ArticleA touch-guided neural circuit regulates motivated gnawing to maintain dental alignment
DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2026.01.021 PMID: 41812659 -
Shi D, Hou Y, Yan Y, Zhang T-H, Joesten WC, Liu P, Wang Y, Gautam M, Zheng L, Lim J, Gould J, Ko B, Niu X, Cheng M-C, Hsieh J-C, Levet F, Cai D, Draelos A, Cai DJ, Wei D, Linghu C. 2026 May 22;PreprintSimultaneous brain-wide single-cell recording resolves spatiotemporal memory architecture.
DOI:10.64898/2026.05.21.726120 PMID: 42239160 -
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.Journal Article430 Development and Multimodal Validation of the Smallest-Diameter Electrode Intracortical Array to Date in a Large Animal Model for Brain-Computer Interfaces
DOI:10.1227/neu.0000000000003964_430 -
Walker LA, Michki SN, Li Y, Cai D. Hardwarex, 2026 Mar 1; 25:Journal ArticleA low-cost and robust microscope hardware trigger interface board
DOI:10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00734 -
Cai D. 2026 Jan 16;PresentationChallenges we face with Common Coordinate Framework
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Letner JG, Lam JLW, Copenhaver MG, Barrow M, Patel PR, Richie JM, Lee J, Kim H-S, Cai D, Weiland JD, Phillips J, Blaauw D, Chestek CA. Front Neurosci, 2026 20: 1848862Journal ArticleA method for efficient, rapid, and minimally invasive implantation of individual non-functional motes with penetrating subcellular-diameter carbon fiber electrodes into rat cortex.
DOI:10.3389/fnins.2026.1848862 PMID: PMC13457210 -
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;Journal ArticleCRISPR Epigenome Editing of IL1R1 Expression of Neurons that Innervate the Temporomandibular Joint or Knee Causes Reduced Sensitization to Osteoarthritic Environment
DOI:10.1007/s10439-026-04047-3 PMID: 41949727
