Caroline Runyan

Caroline Runyan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the circuit mechanisms controlling information flow between brain regions, particularly how networks filter irrelevant sensory information and integrate inputs with internal brain states. She employs advanced techniques such as two-photon imaging, optogenetics, and genetic labeling in mice performing perceptual tasks. Key areas include state-dependent processing across cortical hierarchies, inhibitory subcircuit control, and neuromodulatory influences on sensory processing. Her work aims to elucidate disruptions in network communication relevant to disorders like schizophrenia and addiction.

Education: Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2012).

Research Interests:

• Neuronal circuit dynamics in sensory and association cortices
• Role of inhibitory interneurons in information processing
• Neuromodulatory modulation of cortical activity
• Context-dependent neural signaling

Lab Activities: The Runyan Lab is located in Langley Hall and actively investigates experimental approaches to map and manipulate neural circuits. Current projects explore excitatory-inhibitory population dynamics, sensory gating mechanisms, and state-dependent signal transmission.

Lab Members: Includes PhD students (Constanza Bassi, Akhil Bandi), postbac researchers (Jordyn Miller, John McCann), and alumni contributors (Christian Potter, Christine Khoury).