Neuroscience Seminar Series

Co-sponsored by the Neurobiology and Anatomy Dept. and the WVU Center for Neuroscience this series presents current topics and research from local and invited speakers working in the neurosciences field.

Fall 2011

All seminars are held Wednesdays at 4 pm, in room 2094 HSC-N

8/31/2011        Margaret Gnegy
                       Department of Pharmacology
                       University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
                       Protein Kinase Cb:Traffic Director for Dopamine Autoreceptor and Dopamine Transporter Activities
                       Dr. Gnegy’s research suggests that inhibition of protein kinase Cb could reduce extracellular dopamine in response to amphetamine
                       and thus have a therapeutic potential for high-dopamine release pathologies, such as drug abuse and schizophrenia.
                       Hosts: Rolf Hansen and the Neuroscience Program graduate students

9/28/2011       Theodore Wensel
                       Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
                       Baylor College of Medicine  
                       Exploring Structures in Sensory Neurons with Cryo-Electron Microscopy
                       Dr. Wensel will show how cryo-electron microscopy can be applied to the study of molecular structures, including phototransduction
                       complexes that mediate vertebrate vision, TRP channels that mediate multi-modal sensory signaling, and sub-cellular structures within
                       retinal rod cells of wildtype and genetically perturbed mice.
                       Host: Vishy Ramamurthy

10/5/201          Elizabeth Jonas
                       Departments of Medicine and Neurobiology
                       Yale University
                       Life, Death and Synaptic Metabolism
                       Dr. Jonas will discuss how synaptic plasticity is regulated by mitochondrial ion channel activity, particularly an inner membrane leak
                       conductance that changes the efficiency of ATP production acutely after synaptic stimulation.
                       Host: George Spirou

10/12/2011      Xiao-Ming Xu
                       Stark Neurosciences Research Institute 
                       Indiana University, Indianapolis
                       Neuroprotective and Regenerative Strategies for Repair after Spinal Cord  Injury
                       Dr. Xu is developing novel repair strategies to improve anatomical reorganization and functional recovery in experimental models of spinal cord injuries.
                       Host: Aric Agmon

10/19/2011      Roger Colbran
                       Dept. of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
                       Vanderbilt University
                       CamKII Synaptic Signaling Mechanisms 
                       CaMKII-associated proteins appear to play a role in targeting CaMKII to dendritic spines by activity dependent mechanisms. Dr. Colbran will
                       discuss the molecular basis of these interactions and their effects on glutamate receptors and regulation of synaptic transmission.
                       Hosts: Vishy Ramamurthy and Miranda Reed

11/2/2011       Randy Blakely
                       Depts. of Pharmacology and Psychiatry
                       Director, Conte Center for Basic Neuroscience Research
                       Vanderbilt University
                       Serotonin Transporters: Single Molecule Analysis of Regulatory Pathways Connected to Autism
                       The serotonin transporter (SERT) is responsible for clearance of serotonin at brain and peripheral synapses, and is a major target of antidepressants
                       and psychostimulants such as cocaine and MDMA (Ecstasy). Dr. Blakely will describe recent efforts in his lab to explore SERT regulatory pathways,
                       from single molecule studies of SERT trafficking and activation  to analysis  of transgenic mice.
                       Hosts: Michael Seminerio and Lindsay Lueptow

11/30/2011     Robert Dantzer
                      Depts. of Psychoneuroimmunology and Pathology
                      Univ. of Illinois, Urbana
                      Why Do We Feel Sick and Behave in a Sick Way When We Are Ill? - A Neuroimmune Perspective
                      When we are ill with an infectious disease, we feel sick because immune mediators act on the brain via immune-to-brain communication pathways.
                      In his talk, Dr. Dantzer  will discuss the development of sickness and its possible transition into a depressive disorder.
                       Host: Gregory Konat

12/7/2011       Franck Polleux
                      Scripps Research Institute
                      La Jolla, CA
                      Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Axon Formation and Development in Vivo
                      A striking feature of neuronal development is the formation of a single axon that ultimately forms presynaptic contact on target neurons. Dr. Polleux’s
                      lab is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying axon formation, and Dr. Polleux will discuss the central function of the kinase
                      LKB1 (STK11) in axon formation and development.
                       Host: Eric Tucker