Christopher V. Gabel

Christopher V. Gabel is an Associate Professor at Boston University, specializing in Neural Regeneration and Anesthesia. He conducts in vivo research at the intersection of engineering, biophysics, and neuroscience using C. elegans as a model organism. His work focuses on neuronal damage response, calcium signaling, and biophotonic technology development.

• Education: B.A. from Princeton University, Ph.D. from Harvard University

Research Interests:
Dr. Gabel investigates how neuronal activity and calcium signaling influence regeneration after cellular damage. His lab leverages C. elegans for its mapped nervous system and genetic tractability, developing novel biophotonic tools like femtosecond laser microsurgery and advanced calcium imaging techniques. Key themes include:

• Regenerative neurobiology and axon repair mechanisms
• Anesthetic effects on neural network dynamics
• Development of open-source toolboxes for neural data analysis
• Age-related changes in neuronal excitatory/inhibitory balance
• High-speed volumetric imaging technologies

Scientific Contributions:
His articles demonstrate expertise in combining C. elegans genetics with cutting-edge imaging modalities to study fundamental questions about neuronal repair, anesthetic mechanisms, and network-level information processing. The lab's work bridges basic research with translational applications in neuroregeneration and anesthesiology.

Technical Expertise:
The lab develops and applies advanced imaging systems including:

• Mesoscopic oblique plane microscopy
• Programmable LED array reflectance microscopy
• Event camera-integrated Fourier light field microscopy
• Femtosecond laser microsurgery platforms
• CaNetiCs dimensionality reduction toolbox