Undergraduate in NBA Laboratory wins National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
Graduating senior Rachel Hawe (B.S., Biomedical Engineering, 2008) has been selected to receive an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue her Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Rachel, who is from Alexandria, Virginia, pursued neuroengineering research with Martha Gdowski in the Neurobiology & Anatomy Department during all four of her years at the University of Rochester. She also had a summer research experience at Marquette University, and plans to pursue research in Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University. When she wasn't in the research laboratory, Rachel was also very active in the Society of Women Engineers, serving as president during her junior year, and providing leadership and outreach all four years.
Julie Fudge, MD sponsors Symposium at this year's SFN Annual Meeting in San Diego
Beyond the Nucleus Accumbens: Limbic Subregions of the Caudal Ventral Striatum
The panel will update the audience on the presence and importance of a novel limbic region of the caudal primate striatum. Recognition of this limbic subregion, and its scope beyond the classic “ventral striatum” (nucleus accumbens), has implications for data interpretation in drug addiction, reward, and emotion research. Speakers will review the classic striatal circuits, and present evidence for a caudal limbic zone of the striatum based on a variety of recent studies, from anatomic investigations in animals to physiologic and pharmacologic imaging studies in humans.
Joseph Holt Visits UR
Joseph C. Holt, Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at The University of Texas Medical Branch will be giving a talk on Monday, 12 November at 1:30pm in K-307. Refreshments will follow.
Vestibular Efferents: A System in Search of a Function
Many sensory systems are endowed with efferent feedback mechanisms that can modulate their primary input to the brain. That is, incominginformation from a peripheral detector is delivered to a way station within the CNS which then modifies the output from that same detector. Everyday examples include the pupillary reflex to bright light entering the eyes, the contraction of middle ear muscles to loud sounds, or the recruitment of additional muscle fibers when first lifting a heavy object. Here, the function of the efferent loop is presumably to optimize or “tune”each sensory modality to its stimulus. Sensory information regarding the position and movement of the head are encoded by the vestibular system, which begins as a number of small detectors located within the inner ear. Like the preceding examples, the peripheral vestibular system is also endowed with a prominent efferent innervation. The functional role of this feedback system, however, is relatively unknown. We do know that when these efferent pathwaysare electrically stimulated, afferent output from vestibular endorgans is profoundly inhibited or excited, suggesting that vestibular efferents may be involved in both negative and positive feedback. If such efferent activity occurs under physiological conditions, it is almost certain to modify and transform vestibular information traveling to the CNS. Yet, verylittle information is available as to how and when these efferent actions ultimately impact the processing of vestibular information in an alert animal. Taking a reductionistic approach, my lab is addressing the function of the vestibular efferent system from three vantage points:
- Identifying the receptor mechanisms by which different efferent responses are generated during activation of their pathways;
- Characterizing how these efferent receptor mechanisms modulate afferent response properties by pairing afferent recordings during vestibular stimulation with activation of efferent pathways; and
- Identification of efferent discharge patterns with direct,in vivo recordings from vestibular efferent neurons. Such knowledge is critical in evaluating efferent function in behaving animal models.
This talk will summarize our current observations.
Robert H. Schor, PhD
July 1, 2007 marks the beginning of Dr. Robert H. Schor's appointment as Associate Professor of Neurobiology & Anatomy. Bob comes to us from the University of Pittsburgh Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology. His research interests include the processing of spatial and temporal information by the vestibular system of mammals with special interest in the integration of linear acceleration senses from otolith organs. He is presently the Associate Editor of the Journal of Vestibular Research (since 2001).
After receiving a BS in Biology in 1967 from the California Institute of Technology, he earned his PhD in Neurophysiology from the Rockefeller University in 1973. Bob did postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Chicago (1973-1975), University of Pittsburgh (1975-1976), and University of Tokyo (1976-1978). He joined the faculty at Rockefeller University in 1978, moving to the University of Pittsburgh in 1986.
Gregory C. DeAngelis, PhD
The Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy is delighted to announce the joint appointment of Dr. Gregory C. DeAngelis as Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy, along with his primary appointment as Professor of Brain and Cognitive Science. This cross-campus endeavor includes Biomedical Engineering and is a testament to the interactive and collaborative nature of our neuroscience community.
The main goal of the work in the DeAngelis lab is to understand the neural basis of visual perception and visually-guided behavior. Current research in the DeAngelis lab has 3 main foci: 1) neural mechanisms of depth perception from binocular disparity and motion parallax; 2) neural substrates of multi-sensory (visual/vestibular) integration for self-motion perception; and 3) neural mechanisms of optimal (i.e., Bayesian) cue integration. This work combines quantitative electrophysiology and psychophysics in non-human primates, statistical analysis of neural and behavioral data, and computational modeling of neural population codes.
Innovative Infusion Technology
We are happy to announce that Inf-U-Tech, one of our BME Senior Design teams has won first place in the Accessible Infusion Pump Interface Category of the National Design Competition sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Medical Instrumentation!
The team included recent graduates: Mitchele Au, Brian Duffy, Justin Goldstein and Joseph Lust, and their faculty supervisor is NBA's own Scott Seidman. The team also worked with the Rochester Disability Cluster Group for advice on accessibility issues. Ryan Burke served as the TA for their team as well.
This is our third year of success with this competition, and we are overjoyed to be continuing this wonderful tradition! Please join us in congratulating Scott Seidman and his team! This is a terrific accomplishment - the competition gets tougher every year, and the students seem to successfully meet and exceed the standard!
Elizabeth Doty Lectureship - Consciousness from Neurons
The Neurobiology and Anatomy department is proud to announce the establishment of The Elizabeth Doty Lecture. Robert W. Doty, PhD, created this neuroscience lectureship to honor his wife and the 58 years they were married. The Dotys came to the University of Rochester in 1961, where Dr. Doty has been a professor for over 40 years.
A particular passion of Dr. Doty's has been the meaning of consciousness and its underlying neural basis. Hence, the topic of this lectureship is, Consciousness from Neurons.
In his publication of the same title, Dr. Doty captures his enthusiasm: What more challenging quest than to learn how the multimillioned shuttling of damp sparks can weave a comprehending self within the fatty fabric of the brain!
Each lecture will address in some way how the workings of the mind derive from neuronal activity. Examples of topics include binocular rivalry, synesthesia, blindsight, hemispatial neglect, coma, the neuronal control of goal-directed movement, inter-hemispheric interactions, emotional states, and others.
It is Dr. Doty's wish that this annual lecture appeal to a wide, diverse audience including community members, alumni, students, scholars and scientists. In addition, the lecture is designed to benefit the whole neuroscience community at the University of Rochester. Thus, each year the lecturer will be chosen by a committee with members derived from departments most closely related to the nervous system, including Neurobiology and Anatomy, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Brain and Cognitive Science, etc. The choice of lecturer will vary from year to year in order to reflect the different perspectives of these departments. For example, one year the lecture may feature a prominent neurologist, and the next year a neuroscientist.
An additional feature of the lectureship will be to encourage the recipient to publish the Lecture as, e.g., The Elizabeth Doty Lecture: (Title of the Lecture).
Funds from the Lectureship, up to a reasonable limit, will be available for this purpose.
The Neurobiology and Anatomy Department is proud to call Dr. Doty one of our own. We are thankful for the tremendous gift he has given us in the Elizabeth Doty Lecture, and we look forward to hosting world-class speakers for years to come.
Dr. Laurel Carney joins the Department
In July, the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neurobiology and Anatomy will have the pleasure of welcoming Professor Laurel H. Carney, PhD as our newest faculty member. Laurel comes to us from Syracuse University where her laboratory is investigating auditory coding of complex sounds, focusing on the detection of signals in noise and the coding of amplitude fluctuations. She uses behavioral, physiological, and computational modeling techniques towards the goal of relating neural responses to perception.
Neuroscience Retreat
The University of Rochester Neuroscience Retreat will be held on April 27th at the Memorial Art Gallery. This year's key note lecture will feature Elizabeth Grove, PhD of the University of Chicago. Other speakers will include: Daphne Bavelier, Ania Majewska, David Mock and Alex Pouget. Student presentations and a poster session will also be held. The event is free to registered participants and will include a buffet lunch and cocktail reception.
Dr. Robert Doty Book Signing
On Friday, 23 March, from 1-3 PM at the Medical School Book Store, there will be a book signing by Robert Doty for the volume authored by him and his wife: MAN and WOMAN, WAR and PEACE, 1941-1951; A Dual Autobiography, Verbatim from Their Letters and Diary. 693 pp, 112 pictures. This is perhaps the most complete and veridical history of courtship and marriage yet printed.
As an added inducement he is offering a preprint of his forthcoming historical analysis of Alkmaion's discovery, ca 500 BC, that brain creates mind.
Cajal club award announcement
The Cajal Club was founded in 1947 with the dual goal of honoring Ramon y Cajal and bringing together neuroscientists with special interests in the structure and function of the nervous system and has since grown to 500 members world wide. Every year the Cajal club gives out 3 prizes to outstanding neuroscientists at different stages of their careers investigating the cerebral cortex and/or its connections. This year's Cortical Explorer prize which honors a junior scientist who received their advanced professional degree within the last 6 years was awarded to Ania Majewska, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Rochester. The award includes an inscribed certificate, a cash prize and support for travel to this year's Cajal Club meeting. Ania joins Apostolos Georgopoulos and Bradley Molyneaux who received this years Discoverer and Scholar awards, as well as a long list of distinguished scientists who have received the award in the past.
Rochester Neuroscientist Awarded NSF Career Grant
David Pinto approaches the brain like one might expect an engineer to approach nature's most complex engineering marvel. Currently he's working closely with doctors who treat epilepsy, using his mathematics background to understand the disease in a way that no one has before. Pinto has been awarded a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to continue his research using the power of numbers to improve human health.
Neuroscience Interview Weekend - 2006
Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience (IGPN) and Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy faculty and graduate students participated in the Graduate Education in the Biomedical Sciences (GEBS) interview weekends (Feb 3-4 & Feb 23-24). Each neuroscience interview weekend consists of breakfast with the Dean, one-on-one interviews with neuroscience faculty, and dinner with faculty and students. After their formal one-on-one interviews, visiting students, current graduate students and faculty are invited to mingle at a Philosophy Meeting
and poster session. These events allow all the parties involved to informally discuss graduate studies in neuroscience and life in Rochester while consuming ample amounts of food and beverage. For more information please visit the Graduate Studies in Neuroscience website or contact the Neuroscience Graduate Program Administrator
Biomedical Engineering wins National Senior Design Contest -- 2005
Four undergraduates within the Department of Biomedical Engineering were recently awarded first place in the National Student Design Competition hosted by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Accessible Medical Instrumentation. Their design team, Versaerg Innovations, included four recent BME graduates including: Megan Damcott, Ling Dong, Amy Huang and, Laura Katzenberger. The project was supervised by Greg Gdowski (faculty member of the Departments of Neurobiology & Anatomy and Biomedical Engineering) as part of the senior design class taught by Amy Lerner in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Their project was to develop a cycling ergometer that was easily accessible for individuals of all physical abilities. The competition included nineteen teams from sixteen Biomedical Engineering Departments from across the U.S.. Eleven judges from government, industry and academia participated in the competition, which awarded Versaerg Innovations with the coveted first place which includes a $1,000 prize. Several others within the University of Rochester community assisted the team including: members of the Disabilities Cluster, Marc Schieber, as well as Abbey Green, Art Salo, Paul Osborne, and Ken Adams.
Rochester WOKR News 13 Interview of Department Chairman Dr. Gary Paige -- 2002
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And for more details: ABC News: People's Senses are Ever-Adjustable