Our overall goal is to determine how and when the
neuronal circuits of the retina are 3wired2 together, how the synapses
function and how they are regulated by light and dark. We are interested
in how the synapses can be regulated by background light and neuromodulators
released into the retina and during postnatal development.
We study cellular and retinal function at the single cell level using
electrophysiological, optical imaging and immunological techniques
on isolated cells or cells in the retinal slice. We study calcium
regulation and its control of neurotransmitter release from retinal
neurons, and how the neurotransmitter receptors, such as the NMDA
receptors, define and limit the performance of the synaptic pathways.
Also, we concentrate on how the excitatory (glutamatergic) and inhibitory
(GABAergic and glycinergic) pathways interact and fuse to generate
the final output responses of the retina, which are carried as patterns
of action potentials along the axons of the ganglion cells to the
brain. Finally, an emerging area of investigation in the lab focuses
on the postnatal development of these synaptic pathways. This is being
studied in mouse retina which allows us to use transgenic approaches
to explore the factors that influence normal developmental patterns.
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Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program
