C-MAIKI 

I am interested in the genetic and molecular pathways that drive brain evolution. My team uses the Mexican tetra cavefish as a model system and addresses the mechanisms of behavioral shifts as readouts of the brain evolution. My lab is equipped with devices for genomic, developmental, morphological, and behavioral analyses. We recently expanded our interest to address the mechanisms of autism-like symptoms in cavefish in terms of the gut-brain axis: the pathway linking the commensal gut microbiota, its metabolites, ketosis, and brain functions. This new research is based on finding systemic parallels between cavefish and autistic patients at the level of autism-related behaviors, genetics, metabolic condition, drug responses, and gut microbiota composition.