The goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms behind how microglial cells, resident immune cells in the central nervous system, maintain homeostasis in the brain and to explore using nuclear receptor (NR)-mediated transcriptional and epigenetic regulation to restore normal microglial functions in animal models of neurological diseases. We take an interdisciplinary approach to our research, employing concepts and techniques from the fields of immunology, neurobiology, endocrinology and molecular biology.