| Current Research Interests
1. Pre- and postsynaptic intracellular calcium modulation
in auditory neurons of deaf mice.
The expression of many ion channels is disturbed in the presynptic terminals,
and the postynaptic neurons of the cochlear nucleus and medial nucleus
of the trapezoid body in congentially deaf (dn/dn) mice. Preliminary research
suggests auditory neurons in the dn/dn mouse have elevated intracellular
calcium. Using calcium imaging and electrophysiology, I am interestd in
quantifying the level of intracellular calcium in dn/dn auditory neurons,determining
the dominating mechanism of calcium homeostasis, and examining the effect
of elevated calcium on signalling.
2. The influence of leak conductances on the membrane time constant of
auditory neurons.
Many neurons express a variety of leakage conductances- either chloride
or potassium- long ignored by physiologists, and indeed "subtracted"
from all electrophysiological recordings. However, the prevalence of these
leak conductances suggests an important role in neuronal function. We
hypothesize that leak conductances in large part account for the extremely
fast membrane time constants in auditory neurons in the "timing"
pathway. I am presently characterizing these leak conductances, and generating
a model of their role in auditory neurons.
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