Brendon Watson

Brendon Watson, Ph.D., M.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry BME at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on neocortical network dynamics and their role in psychiatric diseases, employing electrophysiological and behavioral methods in rodent models. Key areas include sleep physiology, circadian rhythms, stress, and social behavior analysis. Watson's lab develops cutting-edge tools such as 3D-printed neural recording devices and digital phenotyping systems for long-term monitoring of animal behavior and brain activity. Collaborations involve data analytics experts to extract biomarkers from complex datasets. Recent work explores REM sleep microstates, circadian-driven neuronal activity differences between inhibitory/excitatory neurons, and sleep disruptions in neurodegenerative models like spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

**Education:** Not explicitly stated in provided texts, but inferred medical and doctoral training in neuroscience. Research emphasizes translational applications between basic neurobiology and clinical psychiatry. The Watson Lab actively engages in methodological advancements, including custom electrophysiology hardware and AI-driven behavioral quantification systems.

**Awards:** None explicitly mentioned in the provided materials.

**Advising/Grants:** While specific grant numbers aren't listed, the lab's advanced technical approaches suggest ongoing NIH or institutional support. Advising focuses on neuroscience PhD students working in electrophysiology, computational neuroscience, and neuroengineering.

**Lab Activities:** The Watson Lab operates a multidisciplinary environment combining wet-lab neuroscience with computational and engineering innovations. Core facilities include custom-built electrophysiology setups, digital homecage monitoring systems, and advanced data analytics pipelines.