During my Ph.D. study, I used several animal models of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, autism and ADHD. Employing behavioral tests and electrophysiological recording, I examined synaptic plasticity and excitation/inhibition balance in hippocampus and striatum of these animal models. The main goal of my studies was to investigate the mechanisms or relationship between behavioral phenotypes and electrophysiological results. In my doctoral dissertation, I revealed that reduced synaptic plasticity in the DG-CA3 area of the ventral hippocampus correlated with increased anxiety and aggression in neonatal maternal separation animal models. I also discovered that increased GABAergic activity in granule cells of DG may result in the reduction of synaptic plasticity exhibited in these animals.

My interest lies in how gene mutations lead to alternation of behaviors, changes of neural connectivity and disruption of neural activity in genetically modified animal models. In autism spectrum disorders, there are many different symptoms, and these symptoms are heterogeneous among individuals. I believe that genetic animal models provide a powerful tool for us to study autism. Therefore, I am interested in examining the underpinnings of changes in neural circuits and synaptic imbalance in autism using combination of genetic animal models and electrophysiological methods.

Shin SY, Han SH, Woo RS, Jang SH, Min SS. Adolescent mice show anxiety- and aggressive-like behavior and the reduction of long-term potentiation in mossy fiber-CA3 synapses after neonatal maternal separation. Neuroscience 2016, 316:221-31. (PMID: 26733385)

Kim EC, Lee MJ, Shin SY, Seol GH, Han SH, Yee JY, Kim C and Min SS. Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate enhances long-term potentiation in the hippocampus through activation of protein kinase Cδ and ε. Korean J Physiol Pharmacol 2013, 17(1):51-56. (PMID: 23440225)