Not only is behavior and cognition being studied at the basic science level but faculty at Utah are considering these issues in relation to aging and in human diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. For instance, the dopaminergic neurons of the basal ganglia have been implicated in the initiation of voluntary movement. Patients with Parkinson's disease show a marked degeneration of these dopamine cells. One research team has developed encapsulated dopamine releasing cells that can be implanted in brain structures that are dopamine deficient. These efforts may eventually ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Another area of strength at Utah is the study of epilepsy, which ranges from the behavior of specific ion channels to the discovery of new drugs to ameliorate the symptoms of this neurological disease.
Faculty doing research in neurobiological diseases and their departmental affiliation are:
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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
| Name | Department | Research Interest | |
A-C |
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Wolfgang Baehr |
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences |
Phototransduction, the Retinoid Cycle, and Inherited Retinal Disease |
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Steven L. Bealer |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Investigating the effects of epilepsy on the cardiovascular system and on control of reproductive hormones |
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Gregory A. Clark |
Bioengineering |
Electrophysiological, cellular, and computational analyses of neuronal plasticity in simple systems (Aplysia and Hermissenda); neural information processing; bio-based neuroprostheses |
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Donnell J. Creel |
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences |
Sensory anomalies associated with hypopigmentation and diagnostic use of electrophysiological tests in patients |
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D-F |
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Ed Dudek |
Physiology |
Mechanisms of neuronal communication under normal developmental conditions and in models of epilepsy using electrophysiological techniques in brain slices as well as in behaving animals |
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Kevin M. Flanigan |
Neurology and Human Genetics |
Genetic and molecular characterization of inherited neuromuscular diseases |
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Annette E. Fleckenstein |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Neuropharmacology, neurochemistry and aminergic transporters |
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Jeanne Frederick |
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences |
Investigating the pathogenesis of mutant protein expression in retina neurons |
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Sabine Fuhrmann |
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences |
Regulation of eye development |
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Robert S. Fujinami |
Pathology |
Neurovirology |
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Daniel W. Fults |
Neurosurgery |
Genetic abnormalities that cause human brain tumors |
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G-L |
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Bradley Greger |
Bioengineering |
Neural Prosthetics, Neural Interfaces, Neural Plasticity |
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Glen R. Hanson |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Interaction between neuropeptide and biogenic amine transmitter systems in the central nervous system |
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Randy Jensen |
Neurosurgery |
Neuro Oncology. Hypoxia and angiogenesis in brain tumors, Calcium channel antagonist mediated growth inhibition of brain tumors |
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Kristen A. Keefe |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Pharmacology of neuropsychiatric disorders |
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Janet E. Lainhart |
Psychiatry |
Neurobiology of autism |
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Alan R. Light |
Anesthesiology |
Neurobiology of pain and fatigue enhancement caused by injury and in Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia syndromes |
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M-R |
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Suzanne Mansour |
Human Genetics |
FGF signaling and ear development |
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Robert E. Marc |
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences |
Retinal Circuitry and Rewiring Induced by Neurodegenerative Disease |
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J. Michael McIntosh |
Psychiatry and Biology |
Molecular Pharmacology of CNS receptors and ion channels |
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Baldomero M. Olivera |
Biology |
Ion channels, membrane receptors and sensory transduction |
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Scott W. Rogers |
Neurobiology & Anatomy |
Molecular biology and neurobiology of ligand-activated receptors |
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S-T |
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Michael C. Sanguinetti |
Physiology |
Ionic basis of cardiac excitability; mechanisms of ion channel gating; mechanisms of channel block by drugs |
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Aloisia Schmid |
Human Genetics |
Drosophila in the study of human disease and in drug screens |
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Kimberly D. Statler |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Clinical and translational research in traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic epilepsy, and both pathophysiology and management aspects of pediatric neurointensive care |
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Patrick A. Tresco |
Bioengineering |
CNS Response to Implanted Materials |
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U-Z |
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Trent Volz |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Bioanalytical chemistry, neuropharmacology, and enzyme kinetics to study neurotransmitter transporter proteins |
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H. Steve White |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Neuropharmacology; anticonvulsant drug mechanisms; genetics of audiogenic seizures |
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John A. White |
Bioengineering |
Hippocampal neurophysiology, computational neuroscience, real-time instrumentation |
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Karen S. Wilcox |
Pharmacology & Toxicology |
Electrophysiological mechanisms of action of novel anticonvulsant drugs |
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Kang Zhang |
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences |
Molecular genetics and functional investigations of retinal diseases |
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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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University of Utah