Naveen Nagarajan Lab

Pediatric Research Institute, Baxter 1 building, 570 S. Preston Street

Molecular mechanism and physiological understanding of glia-neuronal interaction in repetitive behaviors 

The primary objective of our lab is to investigate the mechanisms by which glial cells communicate with neurons to shape neural circuit development, function and complex behaviors. We are interested in identifying the fundamental neural circuit and immune cellular mechanisms that control repetitive behaviors and determine how anxiety and social stimuli encoding circuit impacts distinct phases of repetitive behaviors. By mapping these cross-generational neural-immune communication networks, our goal is to identify novel concrete molecular and cellular leverage points for prevention and precision intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism and Autism spectrum disorders.   

Key Research Areas

  • Repetitive behaviors 

  • Anxiety and social behaviors 

  • Neural circuit analysis of repetitive behaviors 

  • Microglia-neuronal interaction in repetitive behaviors 

  • Microbiome-microglia interaction in repetitive behaviors 

  • Maternal immune activation in repetitive behaviors 

  • Maternal stress impact on repetitive behaviors 


Naveen Nagarajan, PhD
Assistant Professor (PI)


502-852-2652

Rekha Jagadapillai, PhD
Research Scientist

Fred Bonsack, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

 

Kipp BucknerLab Manager Assistant

Graduate Rotation Students

Emmanuel Osei-Osarfo

Undergraduate Students

  • Poorva Dhande
  • Brooke Bonar
  • Divya Naidugari
  • Abi Caldwell

Current Projects


  • Microbiome-microglia interaction in repetitive behaviors 

  • Maternal stress impact on microglia-neuronal signaling in repetitive behaviors 

  • Maternal immune infection driven microglia-neuronal signaling in repetitive behaviors 

  • Environmental toxicant impact on gut-brain axis driving repetitive behaviors 

Recent Publications

  1. Van Deren DA, Xu B, Nagarajan N, Boulet AM, Zhang S, Capecchi MR ‘Defective Hoxb8 microglia are causative for both chronic anxiety and pathological overgrooming in mice’ (2025), Molecular Psychiatry (Nature publishing group), Sep 2. doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03190-y). 

  1. Nagarajan N, Capecchi MR Optogenetic stimulation of Hoxb8 microglia, immune cells of the brain, induces persistent grooming and anxiety behavior (2023), Molecular Psychiatry, (Nature publishing group), April 10, 2023, P1-15. 

  1. N Nagarajan, B W Jones, P J West, R E Marc and M R Capecchi (2018) Corticostriatal circuit defects in Hoxb8 mutant mice, Molecular Psychiatry (Nature publishing group), Sep; 23(9): 1868-1877. 

  1. N Nagarajan, B W Jones, P J West, R E Marc and M R Capecchi (2017) Erratum: Corticostriatal circuit defects in Hoxb8 mutant mice, Molecular Psychiatry (Nature publishing group), Nov 28, 2017.  

  1. Nagarajan N, Custer KL, Bajjalieh S. Regulated secretion (2009) Segev N, Alfonso A, Payne G, Donaldson J, eds. Protein Trafficking: Mechanisms and Regulation. Austin/ New York: Landes Bioscience/Springer Science Business Media. 

  1. Nagarajan N, Merzenich MM, Schreiner CE, Froemke RC Control of Cortical Synaptic Receptive Field by Neuromodulation and Patterned Sensory Input (2008) Vol 3, Issue, 2, 163-184, Cognitive Sciences. 

  1. Zhou X, Nagarajan N, Mossop B, Merzenich MM (2008) Influences of un-modulated acoustic inputs on functional maturation and critical-period plasticity of the primary auditory cortex Neuroscience, Jun 12;154(1):390-6. 

  1. Nagarajan N, Stevens CF How does the speed of thought compare for brains and digital computers, 2008, Current Biology, 2008, 18(17): R756-R758. 

  1. Bear M.F, Dolen G, Osterweil E, Nagarajan N. (2008) Fragile X: Translation in Action Neuropsychopharmacology (2007), 33(1): 84-7. 

  1. Jaskolski. F., Coussen. F., Nagarajan. N., Normand.E., Rosenmund. C., Mulle. C. (2004) Subunit composition and alternative splicing regulate membrane delivery of kainate receptors. Journal of Neuroscience 10; 24(10):2506-15. 

  1. N. Nagarajan, Quast, C., Boxall, A.R., Shahid, M. and Rosemund, C. (2001) Mechanism and Impact of AMPA receptor modulation by ampakine CX546. Neuropharmacology 41: 650-663. 

  1. Mansour, M., Nagarajan, N., Nehring, R.B., Clements, J.D. and Rosenmund, C (2001). Heteromeric AMPA receptors assemble with a preferred subunit stochiometry and spatial arrangement. Neuron 32: 841-853. 

Technology development 

  1. Mitra E, Guo R, Nelson S, Nagarajan, N, Menon, R (2022) Computational microscopy for fast widefield deep-tissue fluorescence imaging using a commercial dual-cannula probe Optics Continuum, vol. 1, Issue 9, 2091-2099, 2022 

  1. Kim G, Nagarajan N, Pastuzyn E, Jenks K, Capecchi MR, Shepherd J and Menon R (2017) Deep-brain imaging via epi-fluorescence Computational Cannula Microscopy Scientific Reports (Nature publishing group), Mar 20; 7:44791. 

  1. Kim G, Nagarajan N, Capecchi MR, Menon R. (2015) Cannula-based computational fluorescence microscopy, Applied Physics Letters, 106, 261111. 

News media and press releases 

2025  

  1. https://healthcare.utah.edu/newsroom/news/2025/11/research-mice-reveals-brain-cells-drive-and-prevent-anxiety 

  1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251113071604.htm 

  1. https://www.zmescience.com/science/biology/scientists-discover-brain-immune-cells-that-control-anxiety-and-compulsive-behavior/ 

  1. https://www.psypost.org/researchers-find-the-gas-pedal-and-brake-for-anxiety-and-they-arent-neurons/ 

  1. https://www.futurity.org/brain-cells-anxiety-3307362/ 

 

2023-2024 

  1. https://healthcare.utah.edu/press-releases/2023/06/newly-discovered-brain-mechanism-linked-anxiety-ocd 

  1. https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/newly-discovered-brain-mechanism-linked-to-anxiety-ocd/ 

  1. https://communities.springernature.com/posts/optogenetic-stimulation-of-mouse-hoxb8-microglia-in-specific-regions-of-the-brain-induces-anxiety-grooming-or-both 

  1. https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/23/05/ab32616479/dr-naveen-nagarajan-and-dr-mario-r-capecchi-lead-pioneering-study-on-microglia-behavior-through-o 

  1. https://scitechdaily.com/microglia-mystique-newly-discovered-brain-mechanism-linked-to-anxiety-and-ocd/ 

  1. Dr. Naveen Nagarajan and Dr. Mario R. Capecchi Lead Pioneering Study on Microglia Behavior Through Optogenetics (FOX 40 news channel) 

  1. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230605/New-insights-into-the-importance-of-microglia-in-controlling-anxiety-related-behaviors.aspx 

  1. https://neurosciencenews.com/microglia-ocd-anxiety-23395/ 

  1. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/991450 

  1. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-newly-brain-mechanism-linked-anxiety.html 

  1. https://bioengineer.org/newly-discovered-brain-mechanism-linked-to-anxiety-ocd/ 

  1. https://www.newswise.com/articles/newly-discovered-brain-mechanism-linked-to-anxiety-ocd?sc=rsla 

  1. miragenews.com/newly-discovered-brain-mechanism-linked-to-1021516/ 

  1. https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/the-brains-immune-cells-can-drive-anxiety-374419 

  1. https://www.techexplorist.com/brain-mechanism-activates-anxiety-ocsd-behaviors/61665/