Dr. van Praag's Research
Henriette van Praag, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Science at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, 吃瓜网. Her research laboratory is located in the FAU Brain Institute on the MacArthur Campus in Jupiter. The van Praag lab aims to understand the beneficial effects of exercise on brain function and behavior. In particular, we focus on the running-induced increase in new neurons in the adult rodent dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, a brain area that is essential for learning and memory. In mice, voluntary wheel running more than doubles the production of new neurons in the dentate gyrus, in association with enhanced synaptic plasticity and memory function.
Exercise benefits brain function and behavior.聽The van Praag lab聽focuses on elucidating the central and peripheral mechanisms through which exercise enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and memory function in rodent models. These studies may lead to novel interventions for those who cannot be physically active due to injury, frailty or neurodegeneration. Dr. van Praag鈥檚 laboratory employs a combination of behavioral, neurochemical, physiological and imaging techniques.
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