My neuroscience research interests are fueled by the same motivations that drive me to enjoy watching birds pick through nesting materials or leaf cutter ants work as a team or a group of dancers perform in perfect rhythm. I am in awe of how complex the connectivity patterns in the brain are, and am inspired by the challenge of understanding how this messy biological system comes together to support structured thought and behavior.
I am delighted that I get to spend my days thinking about and studying the hidden workings of the brain. In my free time, I enjoy sewing, knitting, getting rid of things, watching Survivor, crafting with my kiddo, and being outside.
Zoé Christenson Wick is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at the University of Oregon. Her lab investigates how subtle changes in neural activity drive cognitive dysfunction in aging and epilepsy.
As a graduate student in the lab of Esther Krook-Magnuson (University of Minnesota), Zoé uncovered the influence of long-range inhibitory neurons in the healthy and epileptic hippocampus, including discovering and naming a previously uncharacterized inhibitory neuron. She then completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Tristan Shuman (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC) where she developed PhaSER, an open-source tool which allows simultaneous manipulation and monitoring of single-neuron spiking relative to the brain's ongoing endogenous rhythms. She applied this tool to epilepsy and discovered that small shifts in the timing of inhibitory neuron spiking could bidirectionally influence seizure susceptibility.
Zoé is highly involved in academic service and leadership initiatives and is the recipient of several awards including NIH Pre- and Post-doctoral NRSA Fellowships, a MnDRIVE Neuromodulation Fellowship, Friedman Brain Institute Postdoc Innovator Award, American Epilepsy Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, and Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain Transition to Independence Award.
This Could Be You!
Think we're on the same wavelength? We're always looking for curious and driven people to join our team!
Join the Christenson Wick Lab
Graduate Students
We take trainees across departments and programs, including bioengineering, neuroscience, and human physiology. Interested students should first apply to their respective department, and then reach out to Zoé with your CV, a description of your research interests, and your interests outside of lab.
Postdoctoral Scholars
If you are interested in doing your postdoctoral training with us, please send your CV and a cover letter describing your research experience, interests, and approximate timeline to Zoé.
Undergraduate Students
Interested in our research and want to explore work in a lab setting? Please fill out this google form! We will review submissions periodically (~1x/week).
The Christenson Wick Lab
Founded in 2026, the Christenson Wick Lab is a neuroscience research group within the University of Oregon's Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Based in the Department of Bioengineering in Eugene, Oregon, the Christenson Wick Lab explores the neural patterns behind healthy brain function, diseases like epilepsy and age-related cognitive decline.
