Seminars & Events
Monday, February 11, 2013: Dr. Daphne Soares (University of Maryland College Park) will speak on "The Sensory World of Cavefishes" at 4:45 pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Monday, March 4, 2013: Dr. Joe Cheer (University of Maryland Baltimore) will speak on "Endogenous Cannabinoids and the Pursuit of Reward" at 4:45 pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Friday, April 12, 2013: Dr. Jill McGaughy (University of New Hampshire) will speak on "The Role of Cortical Norepinephrine in the Ontogeny of Executive Function" at 3:00 pm in Schaefer Hall 106.
Alumni Highlight
Dr. Erin Johnson '02 recently received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and was inducted as an alumni member of Nu Rho Psi.
SMP Spotlight
Ron Saul, "Chronic activation of the substantia nigra nociceptin/orphanin receptor induces motor deficits similar to Parkinson's disease," 2008. Saul, the 2008 winner of the Neuroscience Award, infused a drug into the substantia nigra of rats and measured the resulting motor behaviors, mood disturbances, and cognitive abilities.
Kircher, Daniel (2010). Perinatal Exposure to Bisphenol-A: Does it Produce Similar Behavioral Deficits to Those Observed in Animal Models of Schizophrenia? Mentor: Dr. Anne Marie Brady
Abstract
The endocrine disrupting chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) has the ability to cross the placental barrier and produce changes in offspring. The chemical has been found to cause disruptions of dopamine systems. Disruptions of dopamine observed in BPA treated animals have also been observed in animal models of schizophrenia. We examined the effects of perinatal treatment of BPA on pre-pulse inhibition; novelty induced hyperlocomotion, the Morris water maze (MWM), and social interaction and Dopamine (DA) cell numbers in the substantia nigra of adult rats. BPA treated animals had decreased time spent in the target quadrant in the MWM and had increased distance traveled in the open field. BPA treated animals also had decreases in the time spent sniffing/grooming partners. BPA treatment however, did not disrupt DA cell numbers. These findings could indicate a connection between perinatal BPA exposure and animal models of schizophrenia.
