People
Michael Crair
Name:
Title: William Ziegler III Associate Professor,
Director of Graduate Studies
Education: A.B. Physics, University of California at Berkeley (1985)
  M.A. Physics, University of California at Berkeley (1987)
 

Ph.D. Physics, University of California at Berkeley (1991)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:
In the brains of mammals, birds and invertebrates, the sensory world is organized into regular neuronal arrays or maps.  Common examples are the map of body surface in somatosensory cortex (the so called “homunculus”) and the representation of oriented bars or edges in visual cortex. We are interested in understanding how genes (‘nature’) and the environment (‘nurture’) interact to guide the development of neuronal maps. Our research focuses on development of the visual and somatosensory systems. We employ a broad range of experimental techniques, including neuroanatomy, molecular biology and biochemistry, in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology as well as optical imaging. This array of approaches allows us to examine neural circuit development from many perspectives, and provides synergistic impetus to our exploration of the cellular and molecular mechanisms for sensory map development.
[PubMed] [CV]
 
Ackman
Name:
Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
B.S. Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (1999)
  Ph.D. Physiology and Neurobiology, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2006)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:
My research is concerned with understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that control neural circuit formation. Currently, I'm interested in describing the cooperative and competitive interactions that impact structural and physiological plasticity in developing neuronal networks. Further insight into the dynamics of circuit connectivity that shape functional networks will advance our understanding of how pathophysiological activities are generated in developmental disorders.
[PubMed] [CV]
   
Tim Burbridge
Name:
Title: Graduate Student
Education: B.A. Biology, Williams College, MA
(2006)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:
I am interested in the development of sensory circuits and the role that activity plays in determining the precise connections that are largely set at early stages in brain development. The current model of circuit development postulates a combination between molecular gradients and adhesion molecules guiding axons along pathways to branch at appropriate targets and activity-dependent production and pruning of axon and dendrite branches. The balance between these two mechanisms is thought to be heavily scewed towards molecular determination in invertebrates, with an increased role of activity-dependent mechanisms expected in mammals. The mouse visual pathway provides a model to study both mechanisms of circuit development, with known molecular gradients combining with spontaneous patterns of retinal activity in neonatal pups to determine precise patterning in retinorecipient areas. I am currently working on defining the roles of axon guidance and cell adhesion molecules in the development of the retinotopic map in the mouse superior colliculus, and I plan on using new techniques of in vivo imaging to further delineate the effects of these molecules and spontaneous retinal activity on axon targeting and synapse formation in the mouse visual pathway.
[PubMed] [CV]
 
Onkar Dhande
Name:
Title: Graduate Student
Education: B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (2004)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:
I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the structural and functional development of topographic maps. My current work focuses on studying the tissue specific role of calcium/calmodulin stimulated AC1 in retinocollicular map formation by using multiple anatomical techniques and various genetically modified mice. I have also been focusing on developing in vivo electroporation protocols to label and genetically modify retinal ganglion cells postnatally. This will allow us to analyze the function of AC1 and other molecules during various stages of map development.
[PubMed] [CV]
 

Moran Furman
Name:
 Moran Furman
Title:
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: B.Sc. Physics and Mathematics,
Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel (1994)
  Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel INstitute of Technology, Haifa, Israel (2004)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:
I'm interested in the role of neural activity during development of the visual system. In mammals, prior to eye opening, waves of spontaneous activity sweep over the retina. These retinal waves are thought to support the formation of retinotopic maps in the target brain areas. Using a combination of electrophysiological and computational tools, I examine visual map development in a novel line of transgenic mice that have modified retinal waves. Insights from this study will advance our understanding on how spontaneous activity in the developing nervous system, together with genetic/molecular mechanisms, guide the formation of neural maps, a key organizational principle in the brain.
 
Hong Li
Name:
Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: M.D. Anhui Medical University, China (1997)
  M.S. Human Exercise Physicology, Capital Physical
College, Beijing, China (2000)
  Ph.D. Neuroscience, University of Helsinki, Finland
(2007)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:
My research interest is to study the mechanisms of brain development, synapse formation and experience-dependent neuronal plasticity. To reveal the mechanisms of brain development could not only enable us to cure neuronal developmental disorders but also pave our way to understanding the mechanisms of learning and memory. I am very interested in combining molecular biology, imaging and electrophysiology methods to study how brain cells are generated and how neuronal circuitry is constructed. Questions about what genes are involved in brain development, the interactive talk between genes (proteins) and experience modified by neuronal activity should be of great interest to explore.
[PubMed] [CV]
 
Hong-ping Xu
Name:
Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: M.D. Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi, China (1994)
  Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese
Academy of Science, China (2000)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:

There are more than a dozen functional and morphological distinct retinal ganglion cells that relay visual signals from the retina to the central visual system. My research interest is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that determine retinal ganglion cell dendritic diversity, the precision of retinal ganglion cell axonal projections and synapses that they make with specific pre- and post-synaptic neurons. Currently I am focusing on the what role modulation of retinal activity has on retinotopic map refinement and eye-specific segregation in the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate nucleus.

[PubMed] [CV]
   
Joanna Zhang
Name:
Title: Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: B.Sc. Applied Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University (2003)
  M.Sc. Physics, Brown University (2004)
Ph.D. Physics, Brown University (2009)
Summary of Research and Future Directions:

I am interested in understanding how mammalian sensory systems develop. Among the various sensory systems, the visual system is ubiquitous in most organisms and has fantastic capabilities, such as single photon quantum detection. Many factors work coordinately during development of the visual system, including molecular guidance and neuronal activity. Currently I am focusing on neuronal activity, which plays an important role in the formation and plasticity of retinotopic maps. Novel optogenetic techniques have enabled optical activation and silencing of neuronal activities of specific cell types. Using a combination of optical and genetic tools, we are asking how specific activity patterns affect the development of retinotopic maps. These studies will hopefully bring some new insights into the fundamental principles of the development of the visual system, as well as other sensory systems.

[PubMed] [CV]

Name:
Title: Research Assistant