Shane Crandall
Faculty, Neuroscience Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology
Assistant Professor, BioMolecular Science Gateway
Location: Biomedical Physical Sciences Building
Address: 567 Wilson Rd, Rm 2197 (Office) Rm 2100 (Lab)
Phone: 517-884-5055
Email: cranda86@msu.edu
Bio
###Education B.A. 2005 Boston University, Boston, MA Ph.D. 2012 University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL Postdoc 2012-2017 Brown University, Providence, RI Research positions are open for postdoctoral researchers, Ph.D. students, and undergraduates interested in studying neural circuits in the neocortex and the thalamus. ### Research Interests Our primary goal is to understand how brain circuits control our sensations. Much of our work focuses on the neocortex and thalamus. These areas interest us because they are dynamic partners in the processing of neural signals essential for sensory perception, movement, and cognition. Moreover, their abnormal communication has been implicated in several disease states such as epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. We aim to gain a holistic understanding of forebrain processing through studies at multiple scales: namely, the basic properties of individual neurons, their synapses, and the circuits they form with other neurons. Towards this goal, we use cutting-edge electrophysiological and optical tools both in vitro and in awake behaving preparations. Our findings should provide much-needed insight into how neural circuits in the human brain process sensory signals and how they fail in disease. Current projects in the laboratory include those focused on understanding the dynamic properties of corticothalamic circuits, the mechanisms underlying “top-down” influences on somatosensory processing, and the neurological manifestations of Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
Selected Publications
- 1. Bonekamp KE, Ratz-Mitchem ML, Gillie GR, Xiong L, Sebek MK, Crandall SR. Presynaptic control of top-down signaling in neocortical layer 1. bioRxiv: 2026 Jan 31: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.31.703032
- 2. Martinetti, L.E., Autio, D.M., and Crandall, S.R. (2024). Motor Control of Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Feedback Circuits. eNeuro 11.
- 3. Dash, S, Autio, DA, and Crandall, SR. State-dependent modulation of activity in distinct layer 6 corticothalamic neurons in barrel cortex of awake mice. Journal of Neuroscience, 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2219-21.2022.
- 4. Martinetti, L.E., Bonekamp, K.E., Autio, D.M., Kim, H.H., and Crandall, S.R. (2022). Short-Term Facilitation of Long-Range Corticocortical Synapses Revealed by Selective Optical Stimulation. Cerebral cortex 32, 1932-1949.
- 5. Wundrach, D., Martinetti, L.E., Stafford, A.M., Bilinovich, S.M., Angara, K., Prokop, J.W., Crandall, S.R., and Vogt, D. (2020). A Human TSC1 Variant Screening Platform in Gabaergic Cortical Interneurons for Genotype to Phenotype Assessments. Frontiers in molecular neuroscience 13, 573409.
- 6. Crandall SR, Cruikshank SJ, and Connors BW. A corticothalamic switch: controlling the thalamus with dynamic synapses. Neuron 86: 768-782, 2015.
- 7. Normand EA, Crandall SR, Thorn CA, Murphy EM, Voelcker B, Browning C, Machan JT, Moore CI, Connors BW, and Zervas M. Temporal and mosaic Tsc1 deletion in the developing thalamus disrupts thalamocortical circuitry, neural function, and behavior. Neuron 78: 895-909, 2013.