Biography

Dr. Lu is a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, a Linda and Jack Gill Chair and the current Director of the Gill Institute for Neuroscience. She was one of three initial students to enroll in the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston's first developmental biology Ph.D. program. She diversified her training through a postdoctoral under neuroscientist Michael Crair, where she became increasingly interested in brain development and eventually took on an assistant professorship in the same department. She was recruited to join the Linda and Jack Gill Center in 2015, and became the director of the Center in 2018, superceding Dr. Mackie.

Dr. Lu's research focuses on the signaling cascades underlying neural circuit connections during brain development, to understand how sensory experiences affect neural circuit wiring, and to identify novel factors required to maintain the health of neural circuits during aging.

Publications

  • Zhen-Xian Niou, Sen Yang, Andrea Enriquez, Nino A Espinas, Anoosha Sri, Caliel Hines, Jason M. Tennessen, Chia-Shan Wu, Jui-Yen Huang, Hui-Chen Lu (2025), “NAD+ reduction in glutamatergic neurons induces lipid catabolism and neuroinflammation in the brain via sarm1”, Adv Sci (Weinh). 12:e09950.
  • Jui-Yen Huang, Gautam Chauhan, Pei-Ying Chen, Esen Tuna, Hui-Chen Lu (2025), “Protocol for detecting neuronal subnetworks from in vivo calcium imaging data using multiple clustering algorithms in MATLAB”, STAR Protoc. 13;6(3):104030. 
  • Yu Chen Chang, Sen Yang, Minyoung Cho, Kwangsik Nho, José-Manuel Baizabal, Hui-Chen Lu (2025), "Transcriptional Regulation of human NMNAT2: Insights from 3D Genome Sequencing and Bioinformatics", FEBS J.
  • Jui-Yen Huang, Michael Hess, Abhinav Bajpai, Scott J Barton, Xuan Li, Liam N Hobson, Ashley J Xu, Hui-Chen Lu (2025) “From Initial Formation to Developmental Refinement: GABAergic Inputs Shape Neuronal Subnetworks in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex”. iScience. 28(3):112104. 
  • Kangle Li, Hongwei Cai, Hui-Chen Lu, Ken Mackie, and Feng Guo (2024), “Brain Organoids for Understanding Substance Use Disorder”. Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. 
  • Maurício dos Santos Pereira, Gabriel Henrique Dias de Abreu, Leonardo Calaça, Arruda Vanderlei, Rita Raisman-Vozari, Francisco Silveira Guimarães, Hui-Chen Lu, Patrick Pierre Michel and Elaine Del Bel (2024) “4’-fluorocannabidiol associated with capsazepine restrains L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in hemiparkinsonian mice: contribution of anti-inflammatory and anti-glutamatergic mechanisms”. Neuropharmacology 251:109926. 
  • Sen Yang, Zhen-Xian Niou, Andrea Enriquez, Jacob LaMar, Jui-Yen Huang, Karen Ling, Paymaan Jafar-Nejad, Jonathan Gilley, Michael P. Coleman, Jason M. Tennessen, Vidhya Rangaraju, Hui-Chen Lu (2024). "NMNAT2 supports vesicular glycolysis via NAD homeostasis to fuel fast axonal transport." Mol Neurodegener. 19(1):13. 
  • Sen Yang, Jung Hyun Park, Hui-Chen Lu (2023). "Axonal energy metabolism, and the effects in aging and neurodegenerative diseases." Mol Neurodegeneration.18(1):49. 
  • Haggerty DL, Grecco GG, Huang JY, Doud EH, Mosley AL, Lu HC, Atwood BK (2023) "Prenatal methadone exposure selectively alters protein expression in primary motor cortex: Implications for synaptic function" Front Pharmacol, 14:1124108.
  • Itami C, Uesaka N, Huang JY, Lu HC, Sakimura K, Kano M, Kimura F.(2022) "Endocannabinoid-dependent formation of columnar axonal projection in the mouse cerebral cortex" National Academy of Sciences. 119(37):e2122700119
  • Gregory G Grecco, Jui Yen Huang, Braulio Muñoz, Emma H Doud, Caliel D Hines, Yong Gao, Brooke Rodriguez, Amber L Mosley, Hui-Chen Lu, Brady K Atwood (2022) "Sex-dependent synaptic remodeling of the somatosensory cortex in mice with prenatal methadone exposure" Adv Drug Alcohol Res. 2:10400.
  • Baiping Wang, Zilai Wang, Lu Sun, Li Yang, Hongmei li, Allysa Cole, Jennifer Rodriguez-Rivera, Hui-Chen Lu, Hui Zheng (2014) “The Amyloid Precursor Protein Controls Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis through GABAergic Interneurons”, in press for Journal of Neuroscience.
  • Tabassum Majid, Yousuf O. Ali, Deepa V. Venkitararamani, Ming-Kuei Jang, Hui-Chen Lu, Robia G Pautler (2014) “In vivo axonal transport deficits in a mouse model of fronto-temporal dementia”, Neuroimage: Clinical, 4:711-7.
  • Chia-Shan Wu, Daniel Morgan, Chris P. Jew, Chris Haskins, Mary-Jeanette Andrews, Corinne M. Spencer, Traci Czyzyk, Heather Bradshaw, Ken Mackie, Hui-Chen Lu (2014) “Long-term consequences of perinatal fatty acid amino hydrolase inhibition”, British J. Pharmacology, 171:1420-34.
  • Yousuf O. Ali, David Li-Kroeger, Hugo Bellen, R. Grace Zhai, Hui-Chen Lu (2013) NMNATs, evolutionary conserved neuronal maintenance factors, Trends in Neuroscience, 36:632-40.
  • YanGang Sun, Juan Pita-Almenar, Chia-Shan Wu, John J Renger, Victor N. Uebele, Hui-Chen Lu, Michael Beierlein (2013) Biphasic cholinergic synaptic transmission controls action potential activity in thalamic reticular nucleus neurons, Journal of Neuroscience 33: 2048-59.
  • Chia-Shan Wu, Hongmei Chen, Hao Sun, Jie Zhu, Chris P. Jew, Jim Wager-Miller, Alex Straiker, Corinne Spencer, Heather Bradshaw, Ken Mackie, Hui-Chen Lu (2013) GPR55, a G protein coupled receptor for lysophosphatidylinositol, plays a role in motor coordination, PLoS One. 8:e60314.
  • Chris P. Jew, Chia-Shan Wu, Hao Sun, Jie Zhu, Jui-Yen Huang, Dinghui Yu, Nicholas J. Justice, Hui-Chen Lu (2013) mGluR5 ablation in cortical glutamatergic neurons increases novelty-induced locomotion, PLoS One, 8:e70415.
  • Kihoon Han,J. Lloyd Holder Jr, Christian P. Schaaf, Hui Lu,  Hongmei Chen, Hyojin Kang, Jianrong Tang, Zhenyu Wu, Shuang Hao, Sau Wai Cheung, Peng Yu, Hao Sun, Amy M. Breman, Ankita Patel, Hui-Chen Lu, Huda Y. Zoghbi (2013) SHANK3 duplication causes a hyperkinetic neuropsychiatric disorder with unique pharmacogenetic properties, Nature 503:72–7.
  • Cecilia Ljungberg, Yousuf Ali, Jie Zhu, Chia-Shan Wu, Kazuhiro Oka, R.Grace Zhai, Hui-Chen Lu (2012) CREB-activity and nmnat2 transcription are down-regulated prior to neurodegeneration, while NMNAT2 over-expression is neuroprotective, in a mouse model of human tauopathy, Human Mol. Genetics, 15:251-67.
  • Javier Díaz, Tania Aguado, Chia-Shan Wu, Javier Palazuelos, Beat Lutz, Hui-Chen Lu, Manuel Guzmán, Ismael Galve-Roperh (2012) CB1 cannabinoid receptor regulation of Pax-6 and Tbr-2 controls pyramidal neurogenesis and cortical layer specification, Journal of Neuroscience 32: 16651-65.
  • Chia-Shan Wu, Christopher P. Jew, Hui-Chen Lu (2011) Lasting impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure and the role of endogenous cannabinoids in the developing brain, Future Neurology, 6:459-480.
  • Chia-Shan Wu, Carlos J Ballester Rosado, Hui-Chen Lu (2011) What can we learn from BARRELs? - The rodent barrel cortex as a model to study the establishment of neural circuits, European J. Neuroscience, 34:1663-76.
  • YanGang Sun, Chia-Shan Wu, Hui-Chen Lu, Michael Beierlein (2011) Target-dependent control of synaptic inhibition by endocannabinoids in the thalamus, Journal of Neuroscience, 31:9222-30.
  • Carlos J Ballester Rosado, Michael J Albright, Chia-Shan Wu, Chun-Chieh Liao, Jie Zhu, Shen-Ju Chou, Dennis D O'Leary, Li-Jen Lee, and Hui-Chen Lu (2010) mGluR5 in cortical excitatory neurons exerts both cell autonomous and nonautonomous influences on cortical somatosensory circuit formation, Journal of Neuroscience, 30:16896-909.
  • Hsiao-Tuan Chao, Hongmei Chen, Rodney C. Samaco, Mingshan Xue, Maria Chahrour, Jong Yoo, Jeffrey L. Neul, Shiaoching Gong, Hui-Chen Lu, Nathaniel Heintz, Marc Ekker, John L.R. Rubnenstein, Jeffrey L, Noebels, Christian Rosenmund, Huda Y. Zoghbi (2010) GABAergic dysfunction mediates autism-like stereotypies and numerous features of Rett syndrome, Nature, 468(7321):263-9.
  • Chia-Shan Wu, Jie Zhu, Jim Wager-Miller, Shan Wang, Dennis O'Leary, Krisztina Monory, Beat Lutz, Ken Mackie, and Hui-Chen Lu (2010) Requirement of cannabinoid CB1 receptor in cortical pyramidal neurons for appropriate development of corticothalamic and thalamocortical projections, European J. Neuroscience, 32:693-706.
  • Wei-Chi She, Charles Quairiaux, Michael J. Albright, Yu-Chi Wang, Denisse E. Sanchez, Poh-Shing Chang, Egbert Welker, Hui-Chen Lu (2009) Roles of mGluR5 in synaptic function and plasticity of the mouse thalamocortical pathway, European J. Neuroscience, 29: 1379–96 (EJN featured article).
  • Jane E. Lauckner, Jill B. Jensen, Huei-Ying Chen, Hui-Chen Lu, Bertil Hille, and Ken Mackie (2008) GPR55 is a cannabinoid receptor that increases intracellular calcium and inhibits M current, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 105: 2699-04.
  • Jan Mulder, Tania Aguado, Erik Keimpema, Klaudia Barabás, Carlos J. Ballester Rosado, Laurent Nguyen, Krisztina Monory, Giovanni Marsicano, Vincenzo Di Marzo, Yasmin L. Hurd, Francois Guillemo, Ken Mackie, Beat Lutz, Manuel Guzman, Hui-Chen Lu, Ismael Galve-Roperh, Tibor Harkany (2008) Endocannabinoid signaling controls pyramidal cell specification and corticothalamic axon patterning, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 105:8760-765.
  • Hui-Chen Lu, Daniel A Butts, Pascal S. Kaeser, Wei-Chi She, Roger Janz and Michael C. Crair (2006) Role of efficient neurotransmitter release in barrel map development, Journal of Neuroscience, 26: 2692-703.
  • James Carson, Tao Ju, Hui-Chen Lu, Christina Thaller, Mei Xu, Sarah L. Pallas, Joe Warren, Michael C. Crair, Wah Chiu, and Gregor Eichele (2005) A digital atlas to characterize the mouse brain transcriptome, PLoS Comput Bio,1: e41.
  • Hui-Chen Lu, Wei-Chi She, Daniel T. Plas, Paul E. Neumann, Roger Janz, Michael C. Crair (2003) PKA mediated AMPARs trafficking in mouse cortical ‘barrel’ map development, Nature Neuroscience, 6: 939-47.
  • Hui-Chen Lu, Ernesto Gonazlez, and Michael C. Crair (2001) Barrel cortex critical period plasticity is independent of changes in NMDA receptor subunit composition, Neuron, 32: 619-34.

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