Research
The focus of our research is to understand the mechanisms by which presynaptic receptors and signal transduction pathwaysmodulate the release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic terminal. We are particularly interested in how the heterotrimeric G proteins and their receptors alter synaptic vesicle fusion. We are also interested in the role that these receptors play in the function of the central nervous system using spinal and supraspinal mechanisms of motor control as model systems. Much of our research utilises the unique properties of the lamprey spinal cord, a simple vertebrate preparation, whose CNS may be kept alive in vitro for days and whose axons and presynaptic terminals are accessible to direct recording with a variety of modern techniques.

Our Laboratory
The laboratory has been funded by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is well equipped for the study of fundamental properties of the presynaptic terminal. Resources within the laboratory include electrophysiological equipment for patch and current clamp recordings. This equipment exists in both stand alone rigs, and integrated with a confocal microscope and with a high speed CCD based imaging system, both for imaging physiological indicators.

The members of the laboratory

Simon Alford, The laboratory PI

Edaeni Hamid, Edaeni is currently in the Graduate Program in Neurscience at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She has recently started to study the role of G proteins in inhibition of transmitter release and the effect of receptor activation on the mode of synaptic vesicle fusion.

Roy Smetana, Roy is currently in the graduate program of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the MD/PhD program of the University. He is investigating long term plasticity in the context of the well understood circuitry underlying spinal locomotor output. Roy is also actively collaborating with Dr Rejean Dubuc in Montreal.

Shankar Ramachandran, Shankar is currently studying Neurobiology in the graduate program of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has recently started to study the role of G proteins in inhibition of transmitter release.

Andrew Seymour, Andrew is currently studying Neurobiology in the graduate program of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is utilizing FM dye destaining to investigate synaptic vesicle fusion properties.

Adam Bleckert, Adam has joined the laboratory as technician. He has been working on the role of actin and actin polymerization at the presynaptic terminal

 

Previous members of the laboratory.

Eric Schwartz, Eric has graduated from the Ph.D. program in the Neurobiology group in Biological Sciences at UIC. He has now moved on to a postdoctoral fellowship in France.

Huzefa Photowala, Huzefa gained his Ph.D. in the graduate program of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Huzefa was the recipient of the 2004 UIC outstanding dissertation award in Life Sciences. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in Peter Penzes' laboratory at Northwestern University Medical School

Tatyana Gerachshenko, Tatyana also gained her Ph.D in the graduate program of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was the recipient of the Chicago Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience travel award for best abstract, and a Society of Neuroscience travel award in 2004. She has recently joined the laboratory of Zev Rymer at Northwestern University Medical School and the Rehabilitation institute of Chicago.

Trillium Blackmer, Trillium graduated from the Integrated Graduate Program at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago IL and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow in this lab. She was the recipient of the Chicago Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience travel award for best abstract, and a Society of Neuroscience travel award in 2001. She is now a Post Doctoral scientist in Dr Larry Trussel's lab at OHSU.

Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco Formerly an associate professor from the Central University of Venezuela has done lamprey research both at the Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Center for Research in Neurological Sciences in Montreal. He received a PhD (Neurobiology) in 1983 at UC Berkeley. He also has a degree in Medicine from the Central University of Venezuela and a MS in Computer Science from UMASS at Amherst.

Amanda Cochilla, Amanda graduated with a PhD from my laboratory at Northwestern University in 1998. In this laboratory she worked on the relationship between receptor-mediated presynaptic calcium concentrations and neurotransmitter release. She went on to take a postdoctoral fellow in Bill Betz's laboratory at the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver and is now at Avaya communications in Denver.

Neil Schwartz, Neil is an MD/PhD student at Northwestern University Medical School. He gained his PhD in 1998 from this laboratory, working on the relationship between presynaptic glutamate receptors and synaptic plasticity. He was awarded his MD in 2000 and is currently in the Neurology Residency program at Stanford University.

Rachel Freed, Rachel gained a masters from Northwestern in 1998 and is currently teaching in California.

Michiko Takahashi, Michiko has worked on the physiological role of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors and the mechanisms of action of presynaptic 5-HT receptors in this laboratory. She is currently a postdoctoral scientist in the laboratory of Frances Edwards at University College London, UK.