Associate Professor Retired
- 1964 - 1968 Clark University, Worcester, MA. A. B., Cum Laude in Biology. 1968 - 1972 Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D. C. Ph. D. in Anatomy, with honors. Thesis Title: “Fine Structure and Synaptic Organization of the Glomerulus of the Mouse Olfactory Bulb”. Advisor: Dr. Thomas S. Reese. Head, Lab. Functional Neuroanatomy, NINDS, N.I.H.
- The long term goal of my research program is to provide a comprehensive understanding of synaptic connectivity in the cerebral cortex. A prominent result has been the identification of a set of general principles that have predictive value for describing the organization of synaptic connectivity in the adult brain. A principle focus of the work is the synaptic relationships of afferent input from the thalamus with identified neurons in the cortex. Related efforts focus on the genesis of synapses and on plastic effects resulting from peripheral sensory stimulation or deprivation. The model system examined is the barrel cortex of the primary somatosensory area of the mouse. This region contains discrete structures termed, “barrels” that can be identified precisely in different subjects and that are related to specific peripheral sensory organs. Technical approaches emphasize the 3-dimensional reconstruction of identified neurons from electron micrographs of serial thin sections. Neurons have been identified by the morphology and by the brain regions to which their axons project. Current efforts focus on determining the thalamocortical synaptic connectivity of non-pyramidal, inhibitory neurons identified by their content of calcium binding proteins, The main goal of this research program is to provide data on the number, types and and precise spatial distribution of synapses on cortical neurons. These data are critical for the production of accurate neuronal models that are finding increasing use in the development of prosthetic devices to replace brain function and for robotics.