Ohio State University-Main Campus · NeuroscienceYe Microbiome Lab
Lihua Ye · Columbus, Ohio
Research Focus
Dr. Lihua Ye’s research lab at Ohio State University focuses on how microorganisms in the gut can influence brain function and contribute to anxiety and disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The lab explores the role of specific gut bacteria and their interactions with gut cells that produce serotonin, investigating the cellular and signaling pathways involved. By understanding these connections, Dr. Ye aims to identify new treatments that target gut-brain communication and improve health outcomes for individuals with neurological and gastrointestinal disorders.
gut-brain axismicrobiomeanxietyirritable bowel syndromeserotoninneural circuitryenterochromaffin cellsvagal sensory neuronsoptogeneticszebrafish
Research Aims
3AIM 01Determine molecular mechanisms promoting connections between enterochromaffin cells and vagal sensory neurons.
AIM 02Image real-time communication between enterochromaffin cells and vagal sensory neurons using optogenetics.
AIM 03Identify brain regions activated by the gut-brain pathway that links microbial signals to anxiety.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureoptogeneticsin vivo imagingcalcium imagingbehavioral analysisgenetic manipulationneuroanatomical techniquesmolecular biology techniquesdata analysisanimal models
Output against the department
Publications30bottom 5% of dept.636th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.2kbottom 6% of dept.628th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.