Surjeet's research follows an interdisciplinary approach (integrating systems neuroscience, engineering, and systems genetics with multi-omics) to address a fundamental question: why do some individuals maintain high-level cognitive function into late life while others decline? His career has been driven by applying technical innovation to complex biological problems, leveraging high-resolution datasets to map physiological factors that promote healthy brain aging.
Throughout his training, he has pioneered tools and strategies that bridge engineering precision with systemic physiology. During Surjeet's doctoral studies, he used in vivo mesoscale imaging and electrophysiology to identify how hippocampal-cortical interactions and sharp-wave ripples support functional maintenance. He also developed and patented a low-cost, automated home-cage monitoring system for continuous, non-invasive tracking of sleep and circadian rhythms, effectively reducing stress and variability in longitudinal studies. Currently, in the O’Connell lab he is leading efforts in spatial biology, creating integrated pipelines that combine spatial lipidomics (MALDI-MSI), spatial transcriptomics, and proteomics from the same brain, enabling unprecedented resolution of molecular and metabolic landscapes underlying resilience.
