About Us

The Calderon Lab studies the brain dynamics and behavior of subjects transitioning from an unresponsive state to wakefulness. In particular, our lab focuses on dissecting the causal role in brain arousal of neuronal subpopulations located in the lower brainstem and the underlying cellular mechanisms linking behavior during recovery of consciousness. Dr. Calderon and colleagues have discovered that neurons in the anterior border of the nucleus gigantocellularis (aNGC) promote arousal from a low brain activity state, such as coma or anesthesia. Furthermore, aNGC coordinates multiple arousal pathways to produce a widespread activational state, resulting in wakefulness.

Also, we have identified cortical periods characterized by patterned shifts of power in dominant-frequency bands that precisely correlate shifts in functional motor recovery as subjects progress toward an awake state. Strongly similar features are also identified in subjects exposed to varying anesthetics (inhaled and injected), each acting through different mechanisms and a hypoglycemic coma model. We welcome collaboration with other labs and investigators seeking to understand the restoration of a wakeful state further.