Surjeet S Mastwal, Ph.D. (Contract Staff)

Dr. Mastwal received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University studying the roles of G protein coupled receptor family genes in the development of the C. elegans nervous system in the lab of Edward Hedgecock. He then studied the role of adolescent experience and activity on the development and function of the frontal dopaminergic circuit in the lab of Kuan Wang at NIH. He transitioned into SCNI to support the project in the lab aimed at developing novel methods for delivering viral or non-viral payloads for genetic expression, modification, and/or other manipulations. He currently supports the continuing work that is being done on the refinement and extension of this research and other related projects that incorporate this methodology into their framework.

Selected Publications

Mastwal S, Li X, Stowell R, Manion M, Zhang W, Kim NS, Yoon KJ, Song H, Ming GL, Wang KH. (2023) Adolescent neurostimulation of dopamine circuit reverses genetic deficits in frontal cortex function . Elife. PMID: 37830916

Ye Y, Liu Q, Zhang W, Mastwal S, Wang KH. (2019) Developmental Exposure to Psychostimulant Primes Activity-dependent Gene Induction in Frontal Cortex . Dev. Neurobiol. PMID: 30548567

Li X, Cao VY, Zhang W, Mastwal SS, Liu Q, Otte S, Wang KH. (2017) Skin suturing and cortical surface viral infusion improves imaging of neuronal ensemble activity with head-mounted miniature microscopes.  J. Neurosci Methods. PMID: 28830724

Ye Y, Mastwal S, Cao VY, Ren M, Liu Q, Zhang W, Elkahloun AG, Wang KH. (2017) Dopamine is Required for Activity-Dependent Amplification of Arc mRNA in Developing Postnatal Frontal Cortex . Cereb Cortex. PMID: 27365296

Mastwal S, Cao V, Wang KH. (2016) Genetic Feedback Regulation of Frontal Cortical Neuronal Ensembles Through Activity-Dependent Arc Expression and Dopaminergic Input . Front. Neural Circuits. PMID: 27999532

Managò F, Mereu M, Mastwal S, Mastrogiacomo R, Scheggia D, Emanuele M, De Luca MA, Weinberger DR, Wang KH, Papaleo F. (2016) Genetic Disruption of Arc/Arg3.1 in Mice Causes Alterations in Dopamine and Neurobehavioral Phenotypes Related to Schizophrenia . Cell Reports. PMID: 27524619

Cao VY, Ye Y, Mastwal S, Ren M, Coon M, Liu Q, Costa RM, Wang KH. (2016) Motor Learning Consolidates Arc-Expressing Neuronal Ensembles in Secondary Motor Cortex.  Neuron. PMID: 26051420

Mastwal S, Ye Y, Ren M, Jimenez DV, Martinowich K, Gerfen CR, Wang KH. (2014) Phasic dopamine neuron activity elicits unique mesofrontal plasticity in adolescence.  J Neurosci. PMID: 25031329