Neuroplasticity. Drs. Bieberich, Frolenkov, Gensel, Lee, McClintock, Rabchevsky, Saatman, Smith, Taylor, Wilson

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1 Neuroplasticity Drs. Bieberich, Frolenkov, Gensel, Lee, McClintock, Rabchevsky, Saatman, Smith, Taylor, Wilson

2 Ceramide is a membrane sphingolipid at the interface of basic and translational neuroscience. Dr. Erhard Bieberich MS519 Neuro Inflammation, Blood-brainbarrier Neuro pharmacology Neuro degeneration, (Alzheimer s) Brain injury Neuroengineering Ceramide Stem cells, Neural development Regenerative medicine Nervous system cancer biology Neuro oncology Basic neuroscience cluster Translational neuroscience cluster The Bieberich lab focuses on the function of ceramide in neural development and neurodegeneration (Alzheimer s disease)

3 Frolenkov Lab: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Deafness We are open for new students! Techniques: Knockout & transgenic mice; Patch-clamp recordings; Super-resolution optical imaging; 3D electron microscopy; Ultra-fast Ca 2+ imaging; Scanning probe microscopy; Live animal auditory physiology Selected publications: 2017: Nature Commun., elife 2015: Nature Commun., elife 2013: PLoS Biology, J. Clin. Invest. 2012: Nature Genetics 2010: Cell 2009: Nature Methods, PNAS

4 Gensel Lab pathology repair inflammation BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURY Macrophages have dual properties trauma O 2 NOX2 age O._ 2 H 2 O 2 OH. ROS physiological regulators: age, gender, sex drug development mechanisms

5 Inflammation-Induced Airway Hypersensitivity: From Ion Channels to Patients Lu-Yuan Lee, Ph.D. Department of Physiology University of Kentucky Medical Center

6 Which receptors in my nose respond to this odor? Could I block them? McClintock Lab: When we are not sitting and thinking about how smell works, we identify which odorant receptor proteins (mice have 1,100) respond to odors and investigate what regulates the expression of these odorant receptor genes.

7 Pharmacological, Biochemical & Transplantation Approaches to Treat Spinal Cord Injury Rabchevsky Lab Sasha Rabchevsky Professor of Physiology Ph.D. in Neuroscience University of Florida (1995) Principle Research Focuses: I. Utilize biochemistry, pharmacotherapeutics, and transplantation to protect mitochondrial bioenergetics to promote functional neuroprotection after SCI II. Test drugs to treat autonomic dysreflexia after SCI, an uncontrolled hypertensive condition that leads to cardiovascular and immunological complications Note: All methodologies are described on poster Supported by grants from NIH/NINDS, Conquer Paralysis Now, the Neilsen Foundation & UK CCTS

8 Traumatic Brain Injury Understanding TBI through mouse models Repeated mild head injury (concussion) Contusion TBI Axonal injury Saatman Lab Molecular mechanisms of axonal and neuronal injury Testing therapies: Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) stimulates hippocampal neurogenesis after TBI

9 Bret N. Smith, Ph.D., Professor, Physiology Neuronal Interactions in the Brain Research aims: Understand functional connectivity, modulation, and plasticity of neuronal systems. Main techniques: Electrophysiology, optogenetics/chemogenetics, immunochemistry, histochemistry, neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy, molecular biology, and behavior. Specific areas of study: 1. Synaptic organization of neurons regulating autonomic function a. Synaptic organization in the brainstem b. Neuromodulation and plasticity of brainstem and hypothalamic circuits c. Disorders and diseases: Diabetes, obesity 2. Synaptic reorganization in the epileptic brain a. Synaptic organization of the hippocampus b. Neuromodulation and plasticity of reorganized circuits c. Disorders and diseases: Epilepsy, brain injury Now taking students!

10 Brad Taylor Lab: Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology of Chronic Pain, Analgesia, and Opioid Dependence 1. R01DA ( ). Long-term activation of spinal opioid analgesia after inflammation Corder G, Doolen S et al, Science, 2013 shows that intrinsic mu opioid receptor constitutive activity (MOR CA ) inhibits chronic pain (Greg Corder received his PhD at UK Physiology and now is at Stanford with a K99/R00; Suzanne Doolen is now a senior, NIH-funded member of our group. Both are poised for tenure-track faculty positions) Current projects Lilian Custodio-Patsey, DDS (PhD Candidate): determines opioid receptor pharmacology in the spinal cord Andy Cooper, PhD (postdoc): studies neuropeptide receptor signaling of pain inhibition in brainstem Mads Werner, MD (collaborator): considers MOR CA in postoperative pain patients 2. R01NS45954 ( ). Neuropeptidergic inhibition of spinal pain transmission (after nerve injury) Current projects University of California, San Diego (Pharmacology), , PhD University of California, San Francisco (Neuroscience), , postdoc / assistant research professor University of Missouri, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Tulane University, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, University of Kentucky, Professor of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Director, Center for Analgesia Research Excellence (CARE), 2017 Ghanshyam Sinha, PhD: records the neurophysiology of genetically-identified NPY receptor neurons Pranav Prasoon, PhD (postdoc): evaluates NPY receptor gene expression 3. R01NS62306 ( ). PPARγ inhibition of spinal pain transmission Diogo Santos, MS (PhD candidate): studies drug-drug interactions Renee Donahue, MS (Lab supervisor): focuses on painful diabetes 4. The Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor and Chronic Pain Ben Shaw (PhD student): focuses on glia regulation of neuropathic pain in Multiple Sclerosis Brandon Farmer (MD/PhD student): applying a molecular genetic approach to understanding pain inhibition in the amygdala

11 Wilson Laboratory Estrogen Action in Non-Reproductive Systems: Molecular mechanisms of Sex Differences in the Brain CALL OF DUTY 1. Neurodevelopment-Neonatal exposure to opioids 2. Neuroprotection-Sex differences in response to stroke 3. Aging-Modification of steroid hormone receptors