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Neurobiology and the regulation of behavior research program

These faculty members share a common interest in the early development and later function of the nervous system with an emphasis on the neural control of behavior. They approach this central theme from a wide variety of perspectives including sensory physiology, sensory-motor integration and regeneration, neuroethology, developmental neurobiology, molecular neurobiology and neurogenetics. Their research interests include the neural basis of communication, neuroendocrine control of sexual differentiation and behavior, and neural pathways that control movement. Much of the power of their work is the result of their unique evolutionary, physiological and behavioral perspectives.

Faculty

Anand Chandrasekhar	Mechanisms regulating neuronal development and physiology
Michael Garcia	Molecular and cellular analysis of axon-glial interactions and of disease pathogenesis.
H. Carl Gerhardt	Sound pattern recognition and localization in frogs and toads: neurobiology, sexual selection and speciation
Philip Jen	Neuroethology, auditory physiology, sound localization, corticofugal system, echolocating bats, genetic mutant mice
Mark Kirk	Stem cell biology and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumors
Joel Maruniak	Adult neurogenesis
Andrew McClellan	Neural regeneration after spinal cord injury; factors regulating neurite outgrowth of cultured neurons; brain and spinal neural networks controlling locomotor behavior
Johannes Schul	Evolution and neuroethology of acoustic communication systems
David Schulz	How do individual neurons balance plasticity and stability in the nervous system?
Frederick vom Saal	Reproductive system development, estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals, fetal origins of adult disease
Samuel T. Waters	Molecular and genetic analysis of transcriptional regulators during neural development
Troy Zars	Mechanisms of learning and memory in Drosophila

Research stories

Rex Cocroft and NPR's Radio Expeditions take a Journey to the Edge of the Amazon.

Mark Kirk and colleagues: stem cell therapy shows promise for neurodegenerative disease.

David Schulz finds flexibility in nerve cell construction.

Fred vom Saal: Programmed for obesity - early exposure to common chemicals can permanently alter metabolic system.

Troy Zars finds mechanism in memory development that may help Parkinson's patients.