Department Pages Cellular and metabolic responses of CNS neurons when afferent input is altered with a focus on the auditory system. Department Pages Defining the molecular, biochemical, and pharmacological properties of brain neurotransmitter receptors with a focus on those associated with amino acid neurotransmitter substances. The mechanisms of action of antipsychotic drugs and the pathogenesis of diseases such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease which affect the central nervous system dopamine systems. Research focuses on the role of free radicals and use of animal models to study these disease states. Cellular and molecular approaches are used to determine the functional relationships between neuronal activation, gene expression, and synaptic function in sensory systems.
Experimental approaches involve electrophysiology and neuroanatomy.
Studies focus on the formation of neural pathways and changes in uninjured neurons that may compensate for deficits caused by neuronal death. Department Pages Distribution of AChRs, AChE and agrin in normal and reinnervated muscles. Neurotropic regulation of sensory neurons with the goal of understanding the underlying mechanisms of neurotrophin function.