Graduate Faculty - Neuroscience - Baylor College of Medicine

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	Russell A. Poldrack, Ph.D.
11/30/2009 - 10:00am

	Robia G. Pautler, Ph.D. - Faculty Research Discussion Lunch
12/3/2009 - 12:00pm

	Gary Aston-Jones, Ph.D.
12/4/2009 - 11:00am

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Faculty

Our faculty is composed of many of the nation’s leading neuroscience researchers representing a variety of sub-disciplines. Their expertise and contributions to discovery in fundamental processes of brain function in health and disease are well represented in the most highly cited scientific journals with the greatest impact within the neuroscience community. For example, during the last three years alone, the combined 40 primary and secondary Neuroscience faculty have published 390 articles of which the 12 primary faculty account for 90 of those publications. Of the 90 publications from the primary faculty, 34 are in such leading highly cited journals as Science, Nature, Cell, Neuron, the Journal of Neuroscience and Annual Reviews of Neuroscience.

In addition, almost all of the Neuroscience faculty have independent research funding from the National Institutes of Health and many serve on major national advisory panels such as initial review groups at the National Institutes of Health and editorial boards of leading scientific journals. The details of the individual Neuroscience faculty, their research interests and some representative publications are listed below. Enjoy their creativity and contributions!

Primary Faculty | Secondary Faculty

Primary Faculty in Neuroscience

	Pearl H. Chiu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Neurobiology of reward processing and social decision-making in healthy humans and in psychiatric disorders.
	Mauro Costa-Mattioli, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Cellular and molecular mechanism of memory storage.
	John A. Dani , Ph.D. Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Neural basis of reward, decision-making and addiction.
	Mariella De Biasi, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Neurobiological mechanisms of addiction in the central nervous system.
	Benjamin Deneen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Glial Cell Development and Disease.
	David M. Eagleman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences The long range goal of our lab is to understand the neural mechanisms of time perception.
	Michael J. Friedlander, Ph.D. Wilhelmina Robertson Professor and Chair - Department of Neuroscience Director of Neuroscience Initiatives Synaptic plasticity and development in the cerebral cortex and central visual pathways.
	Fabrizio Gabbiani, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Adjunct Associate Professor - Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University Computation of sensory processing and sensorimotor transformations in the central nervous system.
	Andy Groves, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Associate Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Molecular genetics of development and regeneration of hair cells in the inner ear.
	Joanna L. Jankowsky, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Department of Neurosurgery Functional consequences of Aβ accumulation in Alzheimer's disease on hippocampal neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive behavior.
	Brooks R. King-Casas, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Neural substrates of cooperative and non-cooperative social exchange in healthy humans and in psychiatric disorders.
	Stephen M. LaConte, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Adjunct Assistant Professor - Department of Bioengineering, Rice University Utilization of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in machine learning for interpretation of mental representations and enhancement of fMRI for biofeedback in neural rehabilitation.
	Ellen A. Lumpkin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Molecular and cellular mechanisms of mechanosensory transduction in touch and pain receptors.
	Wei Ji Ma, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Theoretical and behavioral studies of perceptual computation.
	P. Read Montague, Ph.D. Brown Foundation Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Director - Human Neuroimaging Laboratory Computational, functional imaging and behavioral approaches to understanding human social cognition and decision-making.
	Paul J. Pfaffinger, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Associate Professor - Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Assembly, structure, function and modulation of ion channels in excitable membranes.
	Matthew N. Rasband, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Associate Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Molecular basis of assembly of electrogenic compartments of axons; role of neuronal-glial signaling in brain development, function, injury and disease.
	Christian Rosenmund, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Molecular and Human Genetics Molecular steps in regulation and release of neurotransmitter containing vesicles from presynaptic nerve terminals.
	Peter Saggau, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Adjunct Professor - Department of Bioengineering, Rice University Biophysical and optical imaging approaches to understanding dendritic integration and excitability.
	Stelios M. Smirnakis, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Department of Neurology Functional reorganization of cortical neuronal networks after brain injury; encoding of visual perception in multi-neuronal assemblies.
	Andreas S. Tolias, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Electrophysiological, computational and functional imaging approaches to processing of visual information in the cerebral cortex of alert behaving primates.
	Kimberley R. Tolias, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Assistant Professor - Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Molecular signaling pathways in structural development and plasticity of dendrites and synapses.

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Secondary Faculty in Neuroscience

	Anne E. Anderson, M.D. Associate Professor - Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Molecular signaling cascades regulating excitability and plasticity in the immature hippocampus.
	Scott F. Basinger, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Ophthalmology Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Behavioral analysis of addiction.
	Michael S. Beauchamp, Ph.D. Assistant Professor – Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy – University of Texas Health Center, Houston Adjunct Assistant Professor – Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine Functional brain imaging analysis of visual motion perception and multi-sensory integration in humans
	Hugo J. Bellen, D.V.M. Ph.D. Charles Darwin Professor in Molecular and Human Genetics March of Dime's Professor in Developmental Biology HHMI Investigator Professor - Department of Neuroscience Genetic and molecular analysis of neurotransmitter release and nervous system development in Drosophila.
	William E. Brownell, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Otolaryngology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Adjunct Professor - Department of Bioengineering, Rice University Hair cell signal transduction and biophysical processes of mechanical sensation.
	Gary D. Clark, M.D. Professor – Department of Pediatrics Chief of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience Professor – Department of Neuroscience Neural; development, learning and seizure disorders.
	Ronald L. Davis, Ph.D. R.P. Doherty-Welch Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Molecular genetic analysis of learning and memory.
	Richard De La Garza, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Medications testing for cocaine- and methamphetamine-addiction in humans.
	Herman A. Dierick, M.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Genetic and neurobiological mechanism of Drosophila aggression
	Frank T. Horrigan, Ph.D. Associate Professor – Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Associate Professor – Department of Neuroscience Molecular mechanisms of ion channel gating, and the regulation of BK-type calcium-activated potassium channel function.
	Daoyun Ji, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Cellular and Systems Neurobiology of Memory Formation, Storage, and Utilization.
	Thomas R. Kosten, M.D. Waggoner and O’Quinn Professor - Department of Psychiatry Professor - Department of Neuroscience Basic and clinical research of addiction causes and treatment including immunotherapy.
	Soo-Kyung Lee, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Role of regulatory transcription networks in generating distinct neuronal classes in the spinal cord.
	Hui-Chen Lu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Pediatrics Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Molecular mechanisms of cortical map development.
	Graeme Mardon, Ph.D. James R. Davis Professor - Department of Pathology Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Ophthalmology Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Cross species approach to development of the eye and brain in Drosophila and mouse.
	Jeffrey L. Noebels, M.D., Ph.D. Professor - Department of Neurology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Director - Blue Bird Circle Developmental Neurogenetics Laboratory Genetic regulation of neuronal excitability, development and seizures.
	Bert W. O'Malley, M.D. Professor and Chair - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Mechanisms of action of steroid hormones in initiation of transcription and de novo synthesis of proteins.
	John S. Oghalai, MD Associate Professor - Bobby R. Alford Dept. of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Electrophysiological and optical techniques to understand the mechanisms underlying changes in cochlear physiology that occur with hearing loss.
	Paul A. Overbeek, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Genetic analysis of retinal development, cell polarity and behavior.
	Robia G. Pautler, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Functional brain imaging in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease.
	Richard E. Paylor, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Associate Professor – Department of Neuroscience Mouse genetic models of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
	Claudia S. Robertson, M.D. Professor - Department of Neurosurgery Professor - Department of Neuroscience Medical Director - Center for Neurosurgical Intensive Care, Ben Taub General Hospital Development of advanced neuro-monitoring techniques, functional genomics, neuroprotection and proteomics in human brain vascular injury.
	Paul E. Schulz, M.D. Associate Professor – Department of Neurology Associate Professor – Department of Neuroscience Director - Neurology Residency Program Director - Neurology Fellowship Programs Synaptic plasticity mechanisms during normal cognition, neurodegenerative disorders, and stroke.
	H. David Shine, Ph.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neurosurgery Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience Associate Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Role of neurotrophic factors in central nervous system degeneration and regeneration after injury.
	John W. Swann, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Pediatrics Director - The Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories Professor - Department of Neuroscience Epileptogenesis in developing neural networks
	Theodore G. Wensel, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Molecular mechanisms of regulation of G-protein coupled receptors in the retina and brain.
	Samuel M. Wu, Ph.D. Professor - Department of Ophthalmology, the Camille and Raymond Hankamer Chair in Ophthalmology Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Functional interactions of retinal microcircuitry.
	Gang-Yi Wu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor - Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics Assistant Professor - Department of Neuroscience Activity-dependent signal transduction in neurons.
	Daniel Yoshor, M.D. Associate Professor - Department of Neurosurgery Associate Professor - Department of Neuroscience
	Hui Zheng, Ph.D. Professor - Huffington Center on Aging Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics Professor - Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Role of APP and presenilins in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
	Huda Y. Zoghbi, M.D. Professor - Department of Molecular and Human Genetics HHMI Investigator Professor - Department of Neuroscience Professor - Department of Neurology Professor - Department of Pediatrics Genetic, behavioral and cell biological studies of pathogensis of polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases and Rett syndrome.