Faculty are listed by Department within their Research Areas,
with descriptions of their active projects.

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

VINCENT E. DIONNE
Professor of Biology; PhD, University of Arizona

Research Interests:Chemosensory physiology: research on the cellular mechanisms underlying the detection and discrimination of odors by olfactory receptor neurons in vertebrates. Electrophysiological, anatomical, histochemical, and molecular biological techniques are used in the laboratory.

JEN-WEI LIN
Professor of Biology; PhD, SUNY—Buffalo

Research Interests:Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter secretion.Neurotransmitter secretion is a complicated process that involves ion channel gating and secretion steps. In addition, the mobilization and recycling of synaptic vesicles are needed to maintain the function of a synapse and to contribute to synaptic plasticity. Ultimately, an understanding of the secretory events means that one can establish a kinetic scheme for this multi-step process and identify molecules responsible for each step. Therefore, a combined electrophysiological and molecular approach is used in my laboratory to investigate these questions.
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PHYSICS: MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS

KENNETH J. ROTHSCHILD
Professor of Physics; Associate Professor of Physiology;
Director, Molecular Biophysics Laboratory and Molecular
Biophysics Training Program; PhD, MIT

Research Interests:Research in the Molecular Biophysics Laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular mechanism of membrane protein-based receptors and ion transport pumps. For this purpose, we are developing advanced spectroscopic methods based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), resonance Raman spectroscopy, and laser flash spectroscopy. Systems under investigation in our laboratory include the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a key component in neurotransmission; rhodopsin, the receptor in vision and bacteriorhodopsin, a light-driven proton pump. Our research also involves the development of new in vitro and recombinant DNA methods for the site-directed incorporation of isotope-labeled and non-native amino acids in proteins.

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PHARMACOLOGY

DAVID H. FARB
Professor and Chairman of Pharmacology; PhD, Brandeis University

Research Interests:Abnormal activation of amino acid receptors has been implicated in the etiology of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, as well as of seizure disorders. Ongoing studies in the Farb lab provide a strong foundation for constructing models of steroid hormone interactions with excitatory and inhibitory amino acid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This knowledge may lead to new strategies for the treatment of psychiatric and cognitive disorders. Although there is widespread medical and nonmedical use (and abuse) of steroids, there is very little information concerning the long-term effects of steroid exposure on the central nervous system. Rational drug design in conjunction with structural computational chemistry will be used to understand ligand receptor and DNA transcription factor recognition.

Dr. Farb's lab studies focuses on the mechanism of action of neuromodulators and on the structure, function, and cellular dynamics of amino acid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. Amino acid receptor function can be controlled by direct modulation of receptor function on the time scale of milliseconds to seconds and by regulation of receptor expression by genomic mechanisms. The role of neuroactive steroids in the control of GABA, glycine, and glutamate (NMDA and non-NMDA) receptors is being investigated using a multidisciplinary approach that includes the techniques of molecular biology, patch-clamp neurophysiology, cell biology, and molecular neuroanatomy. We have isolated segments of DNA from the human genome that contain the genetic blueprint for the production of GABA receptors. By determining the sequences for the regions of the gene that control its expression, we hope to be able to identify receptor-specific transcription factors and to design new classes of therapeutic agents that may act by regulating the expression of neurotransmitter receptors in the brain.

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PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS

M. CARTER CORNWALL
Professor; PhD, University of Utah

Research Interests:The Cornwall laboratory studies the mechanisms of visual transduction that relate to light- and dark-adaptation in the vertebrate retina. Specific areas of study are: mechanisms of visual pigment regeneration and dark adaptation of rods and cones; retinoid transport during light and dark adaptation; role of interphotoreceptor matrix retinoid binding protein (IRBP); calcium homeostasis during light- and dark-adaptation. Techniques used routinely in the lab are: extracellular single-cell electrical recordings of rods and cones, microspectrophotometry of visual pigments, whole-cell voltage clamp recording (in collaboration with Dr. Hugh Matthews, University of Cambridge, England), and single-cell confocal calcium imaging (in collaboration with Dr. Gordon Fain, UCLA).

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