Research Interest: Neurobiology
| Name | PhD Program | Research Interest | Publications |
|---|---|---|
| Hodge, Clyde WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Our preclinical research is based on the concept that drugs of abuse gain control over behavior by hijacking molecular mechanisms of neuroplasticity within brain reward circuits. Our lab focuses on three main research questions: (1) Discover the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that mediate the reinforcing and pleasurable subjective effects of alcohol and other drugs, (2) Identify the long-term effects of cocaine and alcohol abuse during adolescence, (3) Identify novel neural targets and validate pharmacological compounds that may be used to treat problems associated with alcohol and drug abuse. The lab culture is collaborative and dynamic, innovative, and team-based. We are looking for colleagues who share an interest in understanding how alcohol hijacks reward pathways to produce addiction. |
| Kash, Thomas WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Emotional behavior is regulated by a host of chemicals, including neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, acting on specific circuits within the brain. There is strong evidence for the existence of both endogenous stress and anti-stress systems. Chronic exposure to drugs of abuse and stress are hypothesized to modulate the relative balance of activity of these systems within key circuitry in the brain leading to dysregulated emotional behavior. One of the primary focuses of the Kash lab is to understand how chronic drugs of abuse and stress alter neuronal function, focusing on these stress and anti-stress systems in brain circuitry important for anxiety-like behavior. In particular, we are interested in defining alterations in synaptic function, modulation and plasticity using a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp physiology, biochemistry and mouse models. Current projects are focused on the role of a unique population of dopamine neurons in alcoholism and anxiety. |
| Lohman, Kenneth WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Our lab group is interested in the behavior, sensory ecology, neuroethology, and conservation biology of animals, particularly those that live in the ocean. Research focuses include: (1) physiology and ecology of animals that migrate long distances; (2) navigational mechanisms of sea turtles, spiny lobsters, monarch butterflies, and salmon; (3) neuroethology and behavioral physiology of invertebrate animals; (4) use of the Earth’s magnetic field in animal navigation; (5) technoethology (the use of novel computer and electronic technology to study behavior). |
| Lysle, Donald WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Psychoneuroimmunology; the effects of conditioning on lymphocyte reactivity |
| Maness, Patricia F. WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
My research focuses on molecular mechanisms of mammalian nervous system development. We investigate mechanisms by which developing neurons migrate to the neocortex and form connections. |
| Manis, Paul B. WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Our fundamental interest is in how the nervous system processes sensory information. We have been studying these problems using in vitro preparations that allow us to examine how single cells in the auditory cortex and auditory brainstem operate to integrate synaptic input, generate precisely timed action potentials, and adapt to changes in sensory input produced by hearing loss. This has involved investigations into the kinds of ion channels expressed in particular subsets of cells, determination of the kinetics and voltage dependence of those channels, studies of synaptic transmission, and the generation of computational models that reflect our current understanding of how these cells operate and produce responses to acoustic stimuli. A longstanding interest has been in the types of processing that take place in the elaborate network of cells in cerebral cortex. The structure and function of neurons in the auditory cortex depends extensively on sensory experience. We are now studying the functional spatial organization of auditory cortical neural networks at the level of connections between classes individual cells, using optical methods in normal mice and mice with noise-induced hearing loss. |
| Meeker, Rick WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Dr. Meeker’s research is focused on the mechanisms of HIV neuropathogenesis and the development of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of neuroinflammation. Inflammatory changes within the brain caused by the viral infection initiate a toxic cascade that disrupts normal neural function and can eventually lead to neuronal death. To explore the mechanisms responsible for this damage, we investigate changes in calcium homeostasis, glutamate receptor function and inflammatory responses in primary neuronal, microglial and macrophage cultures. New therapeutic approaches targeted to signal transduction pathways and calcium regulation that protect the neurons and reduce inflammation are under investigation. |
| Nicholas, Robert A. WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
My laboratory has two main interests: 1) Regulation of P2Y receptor signaling and trafficking in epithelial cells and platelets. Our laboratory investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which P2Y receptors are differentially targeted to distinct membrane surfaces of polarized epithelial cells and the regulation of P2Y receptor signaling during ADP-promoted platelet aggregation. 2) Antibiotic resistance mechanisms. We investigate the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in the pathogenic bacterium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Our laboratory investigates how acquisition of mutant alleles of existing genes confers resistance to penicillin and cephalosporins. We also study the biosynthesis of the gonococcal Type IV pilus and its contribution to antibiotic resistance. |
| Philpot, Ben WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
My lab is driven to understand the neuronal pathologies underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, and to use this information to identify novel therapeutics. We focus our research on monogenic autism spectrum disorders, including Angelman, Rett, and Pitt-Hopkins syndromes. We employ a diverse number of techniques including: electrophysiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, mouse engineering, and in vivo imaging. |
| Robinson, Donita WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
The Robinson lab currently explores the neurodynamics of reinforcement pathways in the brain by using state-of-the-art, in vivo recording techniques in freely moving rats. Our goal is to understand the interplay of mesostriatal, mesocortical and corticostriatal circuits that underlie action selection, both in the context of normal development and function, and in the context of psychiatric disorders that involve maladaptive behavior, such as alcohol use disorder, adolescent vulnerability to drug use and addiction, cocaine-induced maternal neglect and binge-eating disorders. |