Jeff Lichtman

Jeff Lichtman serves as the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Santiago Ramón y Cajal Professor of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, where he leads research within the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. His laboratory focuses on the physical basis of long-lasting memory and experience-driven neural circuit restructuring through advanced connectomic approaches.

Dr. Lichtman's research program centers on connectomics and neural circuit development, utilizing transgenic Brainbow models for in vivo visualization and automated serial electron microscopy for nanometer-resolution mapping. His lab investigates synaptic competition during mammalian development, circuit rearrangement in peripheral nervous systems, and the structural underpinnings of memory formation. Key research areas include cellular and molecular neuroscience with emphasis on developmental processes, synaptic connectivity dynamics, and experience-dependent circuit refinement.

Analysis of his 2021-2025 publications reveals dominant methodological innovation in machine learning-guided microscopy (e.g., SmartEM) and correlative imaging techniques, with expanding applications across model systems including zebrafish, octopus, and human tissue. Recent work increasingly addresses Alzheimer's disease pathology within connectomic frameworks while maintaining core focus on developmental circuit formation.

The Lichtman Lab maintains active development of high-throughput tools for neural circuit mapping, including Fishexplorer for zebrafish circuit dissection and large-scale human cerebral cortex reconstructions, with ongoing projects examining both peripheral and central nervous system connectivity.