https://www.olsenlabvt.com/courses daily 0.75 2026-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Publications https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Publications https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg Publications https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg Publications https://www.olsenlabvt.com/general-2 daily 1.0 2026-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1630425077608-GWDNSVF7ELLEIRBCD9JO/Glia+2021.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1630425413981-HGCVITDGRKKV1JAC15QI/microbial%2Bcommunity%2Bapper%2Bresized.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1630455086873-0YMGQT7Z8H0G6ZZ99GGX/IMG_4176.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640220671100-2GU6SIVGWW66JZWLSELS/Glia+2020.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640618382249-S4SGXQ7A1M5F2GVQ7XZJ/MCP.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641083925029-6NI1JK1HDB19I4986KDW/elife+news.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641084492642-JD44ZML7AXPXLPB8K6YU/Screen+Shot+2022-01-01+at+7.47.25+PM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641311639389-ZO1UJYC91Q8FPEOTI295/Ray.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1654199072803-XCY3UPVOLKDGMM4UE0AT/Screen+Shot+2022-06-02+at+3.44.19+PM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1661126375501-NHCZUCU8E8PTHP90WVJA/Beatriz.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/aa24c7e7-d20a-493d-8b32-5d3fe6b9242e/Screenshot+2023-12-30+at+2.57.15%E2%80%AFPM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/016024a2-21d8-421a-b624-eb974224dae7/Screenshot+2023-12-29+at+2.23.06%E2%80%AFPM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1eb4956b-dd61-4678-9634-df7545b20b5c/Screenshot+2024-06-10+at+1.18.51%E2%80%AFPM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/e92a171e-316a-49b9-bcaa-7aad78dda351/IMG_5832.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/a7e82c99-af86-4376-8dc8-0bc336f1c6e1/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+8.47.03%E2%80%AFAM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/06af18d0-a8c3-44fd-9e31-61fa92e3cfb2/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+8.47.10%E2%80%AFAM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/e4c5b477-1ab1-4551-9645-0ae7fee244c4/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+9.01.33%E2%80%AFAM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/e3ddd7d3-450a-4589-9973-c3ee63507a5f/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+9.10.25%E2%80%AFAM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/07b45768-60c7-4ddd-b084-02e06780a093/Screenshot+2026-01-17+at+7.39.11%E2%80%AFPM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/d9a2f7e2-017d-4398-9e15-b1ce5bb066b5/Screenshot+2026-01-17+at+7.49.46%E2%80%AFPM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/2a1552c0-8f35-4119-b8bf-b1faedeca1dd/Screenshot+2026-01-17+at+7.55.05%E2%80%AFPM.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1630505776906-JV2BAP0QQQPV8PHYZMPU/Slide1.png Home OUR RESEARCH FOCUSES ON ASTROCYTE FUNCTION IN THE CONTEXT OF HEALTH AND DISEASE ACROSS THE LIFESPAN https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641060422061-HRTPDGD0DH6RE97CPLDS/image-asset.jpg Home - Our research How do astrocytes mature in the healthy brain? How are astrocytes recruited to mature synapses? What is the function of astrocytes at the synapse? Are the processes above impact in disease and injury? Our models Healthy brain development and aging Neurodevelopmental disorders Parkinson disease Alzheimer disease Our tools and techniques Astrocyte and neuronal electrophysiology Confocal and time lapse imaging Cellular and molecular biology Epigenetics RNA sequencing and proteomics https://www.olsenlabvt.com/lab-members daily 0.75 2026-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640911112296-K5C2EZX8MDFLOU4XWXI2/image.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640911623166-3YA45TJB44G0OWT1LO0A/Beatriz.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640912058310-LWT5YXMHAQPYE1ZHU9AP/Micihelle.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640912079336-XP97C8XGV7237B03U7MX/Jiangtao.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640912094933-KFRC1IP1GO83ZINU4S81/Xiaoran.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/67c4b8fc-8299-4c8c-9def-27a0d7deea80/Screenshot+2023-12-30+at+2.52.39%E2%80%AFPM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/637713f4-9e5c-48e0-ad58-36edd5f13ba6/Jack.JPG The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/b5d02b8d-1378-4549-adf3-ab947d7945d8/Sarvin.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/53840a16-509a-41a7-9f6d-7e4b674eeaa9/Yuhang.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/94a4cc60-1da5-4d34-a2b4-c19471899ba0/Sushmita.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/3ee55441-921a-4502-9714-2090aebaa80d/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+9.54.05%E2%80%AFAM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/47343afa-a7c4-41d5-9ea8-4588f2025bb2/Unknown.jpeg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/6f31c7a7-fe09-447e-972c-20394e1a42d3/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+9.51.16%E2%80%AFAM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/fe3995a1-f31e-4252-a5d1-6699fcaea624/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+9.52.20%E2%80%AFAM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/c62b316e-549a-45d2-a913-3e9caa9de41f/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+10.00.50%E2%80%AFAM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/e1398eaf-5a17-43ae-9b0e-05d7e1d85bfe/Unknown-3.jpeg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/01b174b9-7ddb-4d5f-90ce-bc6cb63d0acf/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+9.51.53%E2%80%AFAM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/8b46340f-4b41-4589-aed4-51d36e23bc21/Screenshot+2025-01-01+at+10.09.10%E2%80%AFAM.png The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/29bfbf28-42fe-4c34-86e7-9c02200632a5/URIK.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1aa7d24b-8f64-408e-b92b-1e0f64ffb175/photo+2.JPG The Team Michelle- when she used to do experiments https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/ccc3ecdd-b62b-4ea7-9364-60bd71d487d6/E0CB5FCD-175F-4450-8523-17ECD8D76EF5_1_102_o.jpeg The Team the Olsen lab group in 2024! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/5da13821-df7d-40c1-818a-ad300e7158de/Heather+graduates.jpg The Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/a3113dfd-5a13-48ed-a23a-e6febfab1446/D64E0482-97B3-4321-B1B1-6532BCF4C4D3_1_105_c.jpeg The Team Beatriz defends her dissertation! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/d736221e-4326-4dd1-a145-59577081fc1d/the+first+group.jpg The Team the first lab members :) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/5bd5a25c-e568-4db3-aa11-de1b66500275/Unknown.jpeg The Team The Olsen lab heads to SFN 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1f3be726-bdee-4173-afe1-8955850051b1/Raymundo-2-675x1024.jpeg The Team nice sweater Ray :) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/214ce111-564a-4c8e-8c7a-92b3097b7728/Leanne.jpg The Team Leanne taking a break https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/c6168156-03e5-4a10-af89-7dd18b5b91de/Leanne_Image-3.jpeg The Team a defense celebration https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/51208637-ae62-4ef5-aca4-cddc00df3971/Kelsey.jpg The Team oh Kelsey- what's up with those post-its? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/35a403ac-589f-471b-be94-b2e64f922592/IMG_1234-1-e1565024835385.jpg The Team we celebrate Leanne! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1e734a84-a4d8-4312-870a-a08e5f03505e/windowshot.jpg The Team oh heavenly light, bless our experiments https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/93d7868f-1164-460a-b0be-4e974283d0e8/Olsen_IMG+1.jpg The Team Leanne heads off the New York to join the Nestler lab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/c33b9011-5d05-4996-99dd-c4b176d5dea3/IMG_4176.jpg The Team Jess defends! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/2f388692-4413-4618-8e89-13e1b1d5c01d/EMKD4ATWkAEeuDo.jpeg The Team Abbie is heading to graduate school- Vanderbilt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/e297d89a-a34f-4879-886d-b3f9b912b382/EBOoHLIW4AEpUgd.jpeg The Team project sparkle- what a long day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/a35e27e2-4a93-4407-ad8a-e51578414d84/EMPeJxxX0AQXA_n.jpeg The Team those lambs are made from lab supplies- so creative! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/15d30651-d4a4-49ac-a1f3-467eebc277f6/Olsen+lab+logo.png The Team our lab logo https://www.olsenlabvt.com/collaborations daily 0.75 2022-01-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641073502524-8VR6IFNGXPQN3L72T0NM/astrocyte+function.jpg Join us - Join the Olsen Lab Post Doctoral Fellows We are always looking for highly motivated, talented postdoctoral fellows with expertise in molecular and cellular neuroscience and electrophysiology. Qualified candidates would be expected to perform research with relative autonomy, contribute to a positive laboratory culture, and assist in training graduate and undergraduate students. For more information on any of our ongoing projects- reach out to Michelle directly by email. Graduate Students Current graduate students can contact Michelle directly by email to set up up a lab rotation. Prospective graduate students should reach out to one of the following departments at Virginia Tech about application requirements and deadlines: Neuroscience PhD (NEUR) Translational Biology Medicine and Health PhD (TBMH) Genetics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology PhD (GBCB) Molecular and Cellular Biology Program (MCB) https://www.olsenlabvt.com/new-page daily 0.75 2022-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641086369882-G4YC7ILVV74YOLSRCYQ0/Screen+Shot+2022-01-01+at+8.18.02+PM.png Courses - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.olsenlabvt.com/our-research daily 0.75 2022-01-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641062321836-WEKN3DTDL0JH71VCKAZH/Jack+astro+2.jpg Our Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641071068664-CZKHWEN2O1SOD28YI9SQ/IMG_9704-2048x1536.jpg Our Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641071254574-0N6ND7V4FMTFTKIXGL2G/rita-cowell-e1527275329360-300x300-c.jpg Our Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641071400855-SL27385YV3DRCQCNYLS9/Harald-Sontheimer.jpeg Our Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641072292807-BXNGUDLPD5K4Z42LF8TE/Unknown.jpeg Our Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1641082846370-EU3DO6VXIZ1RRC4GEDI7/astro.jpg Our Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640823254819-ZVWNLY4T086FC6AVKRLK/image-asset.jpeg Our Research - How are astrocytes recruited to active synapses? This is the topic of our newest NINDS funded grant. We recently demonstrated that BDNF signaling onto the astrocyte TrkB.T1 receptor is an important regulator of astrocyte morphological maturation (Holt et al., 2019). This grant is aimed at understanding if BDNF signaling at developing and active synapses facilitates astrocyte recruitment/and or structural plasticity at glutamatergic synapses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640823290147-EECT2J016FW4616N9X8A/astros+methoxy.jpg Our Research - Is astrocyte recruitment and function at the synapse disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders? A long-standing interest in the Olsen Lab is the function of astrocytes in healthy and aberrant brain development. We have spent a decade studying astrocytes in a devastating developmental disorder called ‘Rett syndrome’. Our current studies funded by NHLB, in collaboration with Dan Mulkey at the University in Connecticut and are aimed at investigating a role for astrocytes in disordered breathing in Rett syndrome animal models. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612d103beedf84658ddfba58/1640823326893-VWW9KEM20YSP4UF82MA2/blood+vessels.jpg Our Research - How does aging, brain injury and neurodegenerative disease affect astrocyte function? We collaborate with many amazing researchers at VT (Michelle Theus and Pamela VandeVord and Jennifer Munson) as well as researchers across the US (Stefanie Robel at UAB, Harry Sontheimer at UVA, and Rita Cowell at Southern Research Institute). In ongoing studies funded by the CURE Epilepsy Foundation, the DOD and NIA we are evaluating astrocytes in brain injury', healthy aging and in neurodegenerative Alzheimer and Parkinson disease models.