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.
Goluskin, Sasha (2012). Investigating the role of the 5-HT1B receptor in the CA1 of rats. (Mentor: A. Bailey)
Abstract
Previous research has shown that consolidation of spatial learning in the water maze requires the temporoammonic (TA) pathway. The TA pathway is the neuroanatomical projection from the entorhinal cortex to the CA1 region of the hippocampus. The CA1 contains a dense amount of serotonin (5-HT) 1B receptor mRNA. Systemically delivered injections of a 5- HT1B antagonist have improved consolidation of spatial information in rats. However, neuroanatomical specificity of the task is unknown. In order to further investigate the role of the 5-HT1B receptor in CA1, bilateral injections of the 5- HT1B receptor antagonist SB216641 were directly infused into CA1 of rats via cannulae. Subjects were given hippocampal infusions of SB216641 every other day for two weeks following 40 water maze trails. Twenty-eight days after the initial training, subjects underwent a probe trial in the water maze to test their consolidation and retention of previous training. It was hypothesized that infusions of the antagonist would result in an increased ability to consolidate spatial information. Results of the study did not support the hypothesis.
