Faculty
are listed by Department within their Research Areas,
with descriptions of their active projects.
ANATOMY AND NEUROBIOLOGY
JULIE SANDELL
Associate Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology; PhD,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
My lab has two major areas of interest: 1) we are part of a group
that is building a retinal prosthesis to treat retinal degeneration
and 2) we are interested in discovering the biological basis for
cognitive impairment during normal aging. For the first project,
we use anatomical techniques to investigate the remodeling that
occurs in the retina in retinitis pigmentosa. We also study retinas
from animals that have retinal degeneration as a result of a mutation,
or as a result of a photoreceptor toxin. For the second project,
we study the changes in neurons and neuroglial cells in the brain
in monkeys as they age, and try to correlate the structural changes
with the monkey's cognitive performance, which is determined in
another laboratory. We are particularly interested in teasing apart
the changes that are related to age alone from those that are related
to cognitive status. Ultimately we would like to know what allows
some individuals to age "successfully," while others are
severely impaired. I also have long-standing interests in visual
system plasticity, and the role of GABA in neuronal development.
For more information regarding Julie Sandell's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/anatneuro/faculty_framepage.html
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DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
GLORIA V. CALLARD
Professor of Biology; PhD, Rutgers University
Molecular and cellular physiology of aromatase (estrogen synthetase),
estrogen and androgen receptors, and genomic mechanisms of steroid
action in the brain, pituitary and retina; structure of the aromatase
gene(s) and promoters, and transcriptional control mechanisms; regulation
of the aromatization reaction; consequences of neuroestrogen formation
and estrogen receptor occupancy for neural gene expression, neuronal
growth and differentiation.
For more information regarding Gloria V. Callard's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/gvc.html
PAUL B. COOK
Assistant Professor of Biology; PhD,
University of California, Berkeley
Processing of visual signals by the vertebrate retina involves interactions
between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, the strength of which
varies according to several parameters including the spatial properties
of the cells and the temporal characteristics of their signals.
In addition many of these interactions are modulated during changes
in adaptational state such as the change in gap junction coupling
between horizontal cells, or the responsiveness of retinal neurons
to the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate.
In order to understand these interactions my
laboratory employs several techniques including whole cell patch-clamp
from retinal neurons in the flat mount/isolated retina and in the
retinal slice preparations. Synaptic inputs can be elicited with
stimuli such as patterned and random light stimuli, focal electrical
stimulation of the retinal circuitry, and focal application of analogues,
agonists and antagonists.
Computational models of neural function will
complement the physiological studies. Particularly significant questions
include the effects of anatomical constraints of the cells comprising
specialized retinal circuits, effects of electrical coupling between
neurons, the functional role of pre- and postsynaptic inhibition
on shaping the temporal and spatial responses of cells, and the
effects of modulation of synaptic inputs on retinal processing.
For more information regarding Paul B. Cook's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/cook.html
VINCENT E. DIONNE
Professor of Biology; PhD, University of Arizona
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.
For more information regarding Vincent E. Dionne's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/vdionne.html
WILLIAM D. ELDRED
Professor of Biology; Director of the Program in Neuroscience;
Professor in the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Program; Department of Cognitive and Neural Systems Research
Fellow; PhD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
We are doing multidisciplinary studies of the role of cGMP in synaptic
mechanisms in retinal neurons. These studies employ immunocytochemistry,
retrograde tracers, intracellular injections, pharmacology, electrophysiology,
biochemistry and image analysis at the light and electron microscopic
levels. Particular emphasis is placed on regional differences in
the retina and the biochemical and pharmacological mechanisms for
modulating cGMP in identified neurons.
For more information regarding William D. Eldred's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/eldred.html
ROBERT E. HAUSMAN
Professor of Biology; PhD, Northwestern University
Control of gene expression in the developing CNS and muscles. Specifically,
the roles of the cellular microenvironment in cell determination
and expression of cell-type specific genes. Current investigation
of an example of autocrine cell-cell signaling via a diffusible
signal molecule and the role of a specific cell recognition (adhesion)
molecule in control of gene expression in developing chick skeletal
muscle and retina.
For more information regarding Robert E. Hausman's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/hausman.html
JEN-WEI LIN
Professor of Biology; PhD, SUNY—Buffalo
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.
For more information regarding Jen-Wei Lin's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/jenwelin.html
SUSAN TSUNODA
Assistant Professor of Biology; PhD, Washington University
School of Medicine
Every cell is faced with the task of sorting through a vast array
of extracellular signals and transducing them into the appropriate
intracellular responses. How do signaling molecules within one pathway
activate downstream components with the necessary speed and specificity,
while avoiding cross-talk with other pathways in the same cell?
There is increasing recognition that this is accomplished by organizing
signaling components into physically and functionally distinct signaling
complexes. Our long-term interest is to understand how this organization
is achieved and maintained, and how it produces effective signaling.
We use Drosophila phototransduction as a model system for studying
the organization of signaling cascades. Phototransduction in Drosophila
is a G-protein-coupled signaling pathway similar to many other signaling
cascades. Drosophila is an ideal model organism for studying intracellular
signaling because it is amenable to combining a wide variety of
experimental approaches to address biological questions. Classical
genetic schemes can be used to isolate mutants, defects can be characterized
using biochemical, cell-biological, and electrophysiological approaches,
while powerful molecular-genetic techniques can be used to identify
the affected molecules and examine the function of the proteins
they encode in vivo. How are signaling complexes assembled, targeted,
and anchored in photoreceptor cells? How does a photoreceptor ensure
that transduction complexes have the appropriate composition of
components and that they are situated in the proper location? Drosophila
offers the opportunity to take a genetic approach to identifying
the molecules involved in the assembly and localization of complexes,
and to study the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes
in vivo.
For more information regarding Susan Tsunoda's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://www.bu.edu/biology/Faculty_Staff/tsunoda.html
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DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL
ENGINEERING
CHARLES DELISI
Professor, Biomedical Engineering; Dean, College of Engineering;
PhD, Physics, New York University
Dr. DeLisi's research centers on computational problems that arise
in determining the structure and function of large biological molecules
and the design of molecular architectures with specified activity.
Problems of interest studied by Dr. DeLisi include the structural
basis of signal transduction by membrane-bound receptors, the structural
basis of voltage gating, and the docking of peptide hormones and
neurotransmitters at their sites of action. Other projects involve
the use of large databases to develop expert systems and train neural
networks for the problem of rapidly identifying regions of key importance
in DNA and proteins.
For more information regarding Charles DeLisi's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://bme.bu.edu/faculty/delisi.html
SOLOMON R. EISENBERG
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering;
Associate Chairman of Undergraduate Studies, Biomedical Engineering;
Associate Professor, Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering;
ScD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Eisenberg's research is directed towards understanding the functional
role played by naturally occurring electrical interactions in tissues
and membranes, as well as the effects and mechanisms of interaction
of externally applied electric and magnetic fields. Specifically,
his research addresses: electrokinetic and other electromechanical
interactions in connective tissues and membranes; electrically mediated
transport in charged and neutral membranes; finite element modeling
of electrical defibrillation and magnetically induced currents in
heterogeneous, anisotropic biological tissues and bodies; and mechansims
of magnetic stimulation.
For more information regarding Solomon R. Eisenberg's
research and publications, please click on the following link:
http://bme.bu.edu/faculty/eisenberg.html
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