People

Research Personnel and Graduate Students in the Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology

FarbDavid H. Farb, PhD
Professor and Chair of Pharmacology
10-3009-PHARMAHEAD_Gibbs-026Terrell T. Gibbs, PhD
Associate Professor of Pharmacology
10-3009-PHARMAHEAD_Kumaresan-015Vidhya Kumaresan, PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Downing,ScottScott Downing, PhD
Bioinformatics Research Associate
Nigel2Nigel Durham, BA
Research Technician
Research Interests: Elucidating the effects of neurosteroids on place cell remapping in the rat hippocampus using a model of age-related cognitive impairment. High density multi-unit recordings are taken from pyramidal cell layers CA1 and CA3 in vivo while the subject explores either a familiar, novel, or rotated environment. It has been hypothesized that positive modulation of place cell remapping will occur via the effects of particular neurosteroids on NMDA receptor-dependent plasticity.
StellaStella Martin, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate

Research interests: The disrupted-in-schizophrenia (DISC1) gene, nervous system development and cognition.
MarciaMarcia Hillary Ratner, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Research Interests: Neurotoxicology and neurodegenerative disease.
Robitsek,JonathanR. Jonathan Robitsek, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate

Research Interests: Hippocampal place fields and memory; Normal aging; Pharmacological restoration of cognition; Hippocampal function following chronic early-life stress in a model of negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia.
Smith ImageConor Smith
Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology PhD student
Research Interests: Oxidative modulation of neurotransmitter release from synaptosomes, modulation of NMDA Receptor activity by steroids
Stewart_TaraTara Stewart
Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology PhD student
Research Interests: GABA-A receptor pharmacology of hippocampal place cells, the role of the alpha5-containing GABA-A receptor in learning and memory, cognitive deficits associated with normal aging
SugunanKavitha Sugunan
Program in Biomolecular Pharmacology/Biomedical Neuroscience PhD student
Research Interests: The endogenous modulatory effects of pregnenolone sulfate on neurotransmission and its role in mediating synaptic plasticity