Our lab is interested in the cellular and molecular substrates underlying time coding in the barn owl. The ability of the owl to compute interaural time differences in order to localize sound sources in the azimuth makes it a good model for such studies. This synapse is characterized by the presence of large calyces called the end bulbs of Held. Timing information from this circuit provides the basis for the map of external space that aids the bird in accurate sound localization. The membrane properties of the neurons in the auditory brainstem contribute significantly to their firing patterns and temporal precision.
Potassium channels play a very important role in regulating neuronal excitability.
For my Ph. D, I am studying the expression of Shaw -like Kv3.1 channels in the auditory nuclei of birds. This channel is a delayed rectifier and has a high threshold of activation. Studies on oocytes expressing Kv3.1 and computer simulations have shown that these properties increase the ability of the neurons to fire with greater temporal precision and to follow stimuli of high frequencies. Temporal coding in the auditory brainstem of the barn owl.