Research Scientist I
Lei is an interdisciplinary scientist with skills in neuroscience, machine learning, and software development. He received his PhD in Pharmacodymamics (with a focus on Neuroscience) from University of Florida. He completed his postdoctoral training in neurophysiology at University of North Texas Health Science Center. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and anxiety disorders. As part of the Stanley Center's Translational Neurobiology team, Lei uses the SyncroPatch system (high throughput patch clamp system) to screen drugs that can modulate the activity of ion channels indicated in Schizophrenia. On the computational side, Lei has built several data pipelines and web apps for sharing and presenting data interactively. Lei, along with other members of the team, has built a cloud-based app to automate the data analysis for SyncroPatch. Lei has also built a Python GUI app to automate the detection and quantification of burst firings recorded from in vitro electrophysiology. In addition, Lei has trained a machine learning model to automate the sleep scoring in mice. In his spare time, Lei enjoys reading hacker blogs and building webapps for fun. Last but not least, Lei is a self-proclaimed natural bodybuilder.