Jae-eun Miller, PhD

  • Assistant Professor of Systems Neuroscience
Profile Headshot

Overview

Dr. Miller received her Ph.D. in Washington University in St Louis where with Dr. David Holtzman, she made a seminal discovery that the sleep-wake cycle regulates amyloid-beta levels in humans and mice. Dr. Miller then conducted postdoctoral research with Rafael Yuste in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University where she studied the function of intrinsic neuronal ensembles in visual perception using advanced optical imaging and neuronal manipulation technologies.  Dr. Miller received K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from NIH. Since 2021 Dr. Miller is an independent investigator in the Departments of Psychiatry at Columbia University.

 

Email: jkm2149@cumc.columbia.edu 

 

Lab Website: https://www.kangmillerlab.com

 

 

Academic Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Systems Neuroscience

Gender

  • Female

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • BS, 2000 Biology, Kyunghee University
  • MS, 2003 Biochemistry, Younsei University
  • PhD, 2009 Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis

Research

The goal of Dr. Miller’s laboratory is to determine what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disorders at the circuit level during the behaviors that matter most to the human disease. The Miller lab tackles this problem using innovative optical tools, such as simultaneous in vivo two-photon calcium imaging and holographic two-photon optogenetics, to image and manipulate brain activity during critical behaviors in mouse models. 

One of focuses of the lab is Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia. Memory loss and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease is likely due to circuit level dysfunction, but the nature of this dysfunction is unknown. The Miller lab aims to address the fundamental question: How does Alzheimer’s disease disrupt circuit activity during learning and memory retrieval? Specifically, they image neuronal ensembles in the hippocampus during spatial navigation and memory tasks using two-photon calcium imaging. Furthermore, using simultaneous two-photon calcium imaging and holographic two-photon optogenetic, the Miller lab aim to determine the causal link between neuronal ensembles and learning and memory. 

Another focus of the lab is to investigate the neural mechanisms of perceptual learning. Perceptual learning is a progressive improvement in performance on sensory tasks. Investigating the neural mechanisms of perceptual learning will enhance our understanding of plasticity in the adult brain and provide novel insights into learning disability. To tackle this problem, the Miller lab focuses on the primary visual cortex and determine network-level modifications in response to visual stimulation during perceptual learning as well as the modifications in intrinsic activity in the cortex. They also investigate a mechanistic approach to directly stimulate V1 ensembles to accelerate perceptual learning using a holographic two-photon optogenetic.   

Current Lab Members
Grace Paquelet, Postdoctoral Researcher
Seung Yeon Ko, Postdoctoral Researcher
Fabliha Hussain, Lab manager
Zaheen Hossain, Programmer
Maya Rodriguez, Undergraduate Researcher
Mary Salim, Undergraduate Researcher
Alex Zhang, Undergraduate Researcher
Amber Abud-Romero, Undergraduate Researcher
Nik Patel, Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interests

  • Brain Imaging
  • Cognitive/Systems Neuroscience
  • Neural Degeneration and Repair
  • Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
  • Synapses and Circuits

Selected Publications

Selected Publications

 

Miller Kang JE, Miller BR, O’Neil DA, Yuste R. (2022) An increase in spontaneous activity mediates visual habituation. Cell Reports. 39(4):110751.

Carrillo-Reid L, Yang W, Miller Kang JE, Peterka DS, Yuste R. (2017) Imaging and optically manipulating neuronal ensembles. Annu Rev Biophys. 46:271-293.

Karimipanah Y, Ma Z, Miller Kang JE, Yuste R, Wessel R. (2017) Neocortical activity is stimulus- and scale- invariant. PLoS One. 12(5):e0177396.

Yang W, Miller Kang JE, Carrillo-Reid L, Pnevnatikskis E, Paninski L, Yuste R, Peterka D. (2016) Simultaneous multi-plane imaging of neural circuits. Neuron. 89(2):269-84.

Carrillo-Reid L, Miller Kang JE, Hamm JP, Jackson J, Yuste R. (2015) Endogenous Sequential Cortical Activity Evoked by Visual Stimuli. J Neurosci. 35(23):8813-28.

Miller Kang JE, Ayzenshtat I, Carrillo-Reid L, Yuste R. (2014) Visual stimuli recruit intrinsically generated cortical ensembles. PNAS. 111(38):E4053-61.

Miller Kang JE, Granados-Fuentes D, Wang T, Marpegan L, Holy TE, Herzog ED. (2014) Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide mediates circadian rhythms in mammalian olfactory bulb and olfaction. J Neurosci. 34(17):6040-6.

Kang JE, Lim MM, Bateman RJ, Lee JJ, Smyth LP, Cirrito JR, Fujiki N, Nishino S, Holtzman DM. (2009) Amyloid-beta dynamics are regulated by orexin and the sleep-wake cycle. Science.  326(5955):1005-7.

Cirrito JR, Kang JE, Lee JY, Stewart FR, Bu G, Mennerick S, Holtzman DM. (2008) Endocytosis is required for synaptic activity-dependent release of amyloid-beta in vivo. Neuron.  58(1):42-51.

Kang JE, Cirrito JR, Dong H, Csernansky JG, Holtzman DM. (2007) Acute stress increases interstitial fluid amyloid-beta via corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and neuronal activity. PNAS. 104(25):10673-8.