Huaibin Cai, Ph.D.

Our laboratory investigates how molecular and cellular abnormalities disrupt dopamine signaling and basal ganglia circuits in Parkinson's disease. We combine genetically engineered mouse models with in vivo imaging, deep behavioral phenotyping, neurotransmitter sensing, electrophysiology, multiomic profiling, and cell type-specific circuit manipulation. Major research areas include the selective vulnerability of ALDH1A1-positive dopaminergic neurons; the heterogeneity and functional specialization of basal ganglia circuits; endocannabinoid regulation of motor and non-motor behaviors; and metabolic and network-level compensation during neurodegeneration. Our ultimate objective is to identify complementary therapeutic strategies that protect vulnerable neurons, restore the function of surviving circuits, and modify disease progression.

Dr. Huaibin Cai received his B.S. in Biology in 1991 from Peking (Beijing) University, Beijing, China, and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 1999 from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He performed his postdoctoral training from 1999 to 2000 in the Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and was promoted to Research Associate in 2000. He joined the NIA Laboratory of Neurogenetics in 2003 as a Tenure-track Investigator and was appointed as a tenured Senior Investigator in 2011 to head the Transgenics Section. He also serves as the deputy Chief of Laboratory of Neurogenetics starting in 2023.