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Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity and Neurodegeneration

Neural Circuitry of Motivation

Cortical-subcortical networks for sensory processing and behavior

Chemical Neurobiology: Ion Channel Structure-Function, Synaptic Plasticity

One of the most amazing properties of the mammalian central nervous system is its ability to process and store information. Changes in the strength of synapses appear to underlie such learning and memory. Major research efforts in our group are directed towards understanding the molecular basis for this synaptic plasticity. We use a combination of synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and electrophysiology in our research.

Current Projects

The Synaptic Basis of Behavior

    The nervous system encodes information through the timing and frequency of action potentials.  Synapses process this input by determining which features of the firing pattern release neurotransmitter. However, we do not understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for extracting this information, making it difficult to understand the function of neural circuits, their role in behavior and their dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disease.  

Anatomy and function of retinal circuits under normal and disease states

Synapse Formation, Growth and Plasticity

The ultimate goal of my research program is to define, at a cellular and molecular level, how stable neural function is established and then maintained throughout the life of an organism. The research can be broken down into two main areas of investigation that are described below.

Synaptic Interactions in the Retina: Pathways and Mechanisms

Speech Mechanisms

A unique and defining trait of human behavior is our ability to communicate through speech. My laboratory is interested in determining the basic mechanisms that underlie speech perception and production.  While much of this processing has been localized to the peri-sylvian cortex, including Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, the fundamental organizational principles of these neural circuits are completely unknown.

Sensorimotor Learning in the Song System

Research in my laboratory focuses primarily on the question of how experience, particularly during early life, shapes the functioning of the nervous system. To approach this question we are currently using a combination of behavioral and neurophysiological techniques to investigate the mechanisms underlying vocal learning in songbirds.