Anjali Rajadhyaksha

Anjali Rajadhyaksha is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, where she leads the VIVO Laboratory. Her research centers on neuronal voltage-gated L-type calcium channel subunits Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 in experience-dependent plasticity within the rodent brain.

Dr. Rajadhyaksha's laboratory pursues three interconnected research thrusts: (1) delineating Cav1.2/Cav1.3 roles in psychostimulant-induced addictive behaviors through molecular mechanisms of dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission adaptations; (2) employing RNA interference for spatiotemporal channel knockdown to investigate learning and memory molecular pathways; and (3) identifying calcium signaling dysregulation mechanisms in Autism spectrum disorder. This work bridges molecular neuroscience, behavioral pharmacology, and neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing calcium channel subunit specificity in neural plasticity and disease pathogenesis.

The VIVO Laboratory operates within Weill Cornell Medicine's neuroscience ecosystem, utilizing genetic mutant mouse models and RNAi technologies to dissect channel subunit functions. Her research provides critical insights into addiction neurobiology, cognitive processes, and autism pathophysiology, with implications for targeted therapeutic interventions in neuropsychiatric disorders.