Dr. Michael Wheeler

The Wheeler Lab investigates how immune system interactions with the nervous system influence behavior, inflammation, and tissue plasticity in the brain and peripheral organs. Our research spans three major themes:

(1) Immune and nervous system bidirectional communication: We study how environmental challenges—such as psychological stress, infection, or psychoactive drugs—modulate immune cell function and tissue inflammation. We also explore how immune system signals, especially from mucosal sites like the gut and meninges, influence neural circuits and behavior. Conversely, we investigate how brain activity shapes peripheral immune tone and inflammation.

(2) Encoding neuroimmune signals in the brain: We map how brain-resident cells—particularly neurons and glia—interpret immune cues to influence circuit function. Using models of stress, allergy, and cancer, and development of new molecular tools, we define how neuroimmune interactions regulate affective behaviors and cognition, and how different CNS and peripheral cell types dynamically adapt to inflammation.

(3) Immunotherapies targeting behavior: We evaluate how psychedelics, biologics, and engineered immunomodulators reshape neuroimmune pathways. Our recent work reveals that specific immune cell populations are responsive to psychedelic compounds and may be involved in their therapeutic effects. We are also developing novel immune-based strategies to restore homeostasis in circuits disrupted by chronic stress, addiction, or inflammation.

Our lab integrates molecular immunology with systems neuroscience using single-cell and spatial genomics, behavioral phenotyping, and synthetic biology. Through this multidisciplinary framework, we aim to uncover fundamental principles of neuroimmune crosstalk that drive both disease and therapeutic responses.