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.
Selckmann, Gordon Michael (2010). An Investigation of the Teleost Sensory Saccular Epithelia: Cranial Nerve Arborization and Innervation of the Saccule Sensory Epithelia. Mentor: Dr. John Ramcharitar
Abstract
Members of the teleost family Sciaenidae show significant variation in the inner ear and accessory hearing structures. In this study we examined the inner ear morphology of the sciaenids Micropogonias undulates, Sciaenops ocellatus, Leostomus xanthurus, and from the bass Moronidae family, Morone Americana inner ears were isolated via gross level dissections, arborization of the 8th cranial nerve onto the saccule was studied via osmium staining and hair cell densities over the saccular sensory epithelia via a fluorescent techniques. I found that there are more complex 8th nerve arborization patterns on the saccular sensory epithelium of species with accessory hearing organs. There were also interspecific differences in total numbers of hair cells in specialized species. The more specialized species showed greater numbers of hair cells than generalized species. The morphological specializations of the inner ear and swim bladder of the studied sciaenids may be linked to the enhanced hearing capabilities. The findings of this study suggest the possibility of frequency tuning on the saccular sensory epithium.
