Parastoo Hashemi | Smart Sensor Technology

My lab and I are an inter-disciplinary research team who develop smart sensor technology to probe delicate and hard to reach systems. At the interface of engineering, chemistry, medicine and mathematics, we pioneer new tools and use them to study biology and our environment.

We are a diverse group of scientists, taking innovative approaches to understanding the basic science of mental health, The Hashemi Lab. is a safe and inclusive space; we are passionate about improving representation in STEM and welcome all people and ideas to help us.

Parastoo Hashemi MSci, PhD

Ultrafast Detection and Quantification of Brain Signaling Molecules with Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes

Real-Time, Selective Detection of Copper(II) Using Ionophore-Grafted Carbon-Fiber Microelectrodes

In vivo Hippocampal Serotonin Dynamics in Male and Female Mice: Determining Effects of Acute Escitalopram Using Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry

Fast serotonin voltammetry as a versatile tool for mapping dynamic tissue architecture: I. Responses at carbon fibers describe local tissue physiology

The coaction of tonic and phasic dopamine dynamics

In vivo histamine voltammetry in the mouse premammillary nucleus

Frontiers in electrochemical sensors for neurotransmitter detection: towards measuring neurotransmitters as chemical diagnostics for brain disorders

In Vivo Neurotransmitter Measurements

We study neurotransmitters that are involved in mood and emotional processes, in particular serotonin, histamine, glutamate and metal ions. We are designing and engineering novel analytical microdevices to measure these and other messengers and combining our tools with animal behavior, confocal imaging, molecular biology and computational analysis to tackle some of neuroscience’s most pressing issues. Our focus is on understanding how depression is comorbid linked to inflammation with specific interests in neurodegeneration, stress, diet and toxins.

Depression Diagnostics and Treatments

We are interested in finding in vivo and ex vivo biomarkers of depression. By measuring neurotransmitters in the brain and in model systems outside the brain, we are searching for biomarkers to tell us the etiology and prevalence of depression. By investigating how these markers respond to external challenges, we are creating novel antidepressants and screening tools.