Faculty Research Interests
Animal Well-Being and Human-Animal Interactions
Ruth C. Newberry (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/newberry.aspx)
I study factors affecting the behavior and well-being of animals, with a
focus on identifying environmental enrichment strategies that minimize
aggression, cannibalism and other injurious behaviors.
Jaak Panksepp (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vcapp/people/Panksepp-endowed.aspx)
I am the founder of the now rapidly expanding scientific specialty called
Affective Neuroscience. My research interests are devoted to understanding the
basic brain mechanisms that allow organisms to have various affective feelings,
especially emotional ones that are important for understanding psychiatric
disorders in both humans and other animals. This knowledge should help us to
understand the comfort zones by which all animals live their lives, and give us
better ideas for all kinds of emotional distress including those that result in
drug addictions. Our research focuses on the instinctual emotional behaviors of
animals, while accepting the importance of experienced lives in understanding
what brains really do.
Behavioral
Rebecca Craft
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/craft.aspx)
My research goals are to determine whether the rewarding effects of drugs differ
in females vs. males, whether females’ and males’ perception of drug effects
differ, whether any of the effects of commonly used psychoactive drugs differ
between the sexes, and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of such sex
differences.
Dennis G. Dyck
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/dyck.aspx)
My laboratory focuses on clinical management of schizophrenia and immunological
responses to the chronic stresses of care-giving.
Patricia Talcott (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/talcott.aspx)
My current position involves teaching in the veterinary curriculum and providing
diagnostic toxicology service to Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
and the University of Idaho's Analytical Sciences Laboratory. The veterinary
toxicology service currently receives over 1300 cases per year, totaling more
than 4,100 tests. These cases come from all over the Northwest and include
submissions involving all animal species.
Jay Wright
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/wright.aspx)
My research program concerns memory dysfunction, such as that seen with
Alzheimer’s disease. I am developing new drug therapies in an attempt to reduce
memory problems.
Cardiovascular & Muscle Physiology
Ken Campbell
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/campbell.aspx)
I study the relation between contraction systems (muscle), the mechanical load
against which contractile systems must work, and the excitation systems (nervous
system and other bioelectric generators such as cardiac pacemakers) that drive
contraction. This triad of physiologic systems (muscle-load-excitation)
co-evolved according to the outcomes of interactions that favored the survival
of the organism. Articulation of aspects of interactions that lead to favorable
functional outcomes (i.e., enhanced mechanical energy exchange between the
organism and its environment) becomes the center piece of a deeper understanding
of the integrated organism and the foundations for a biomimetic engineering.
Murali Chandra
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/chandra.aspx)
My research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for
regulation of the contractile machinery of heart muscle cells and how
myofilament remodeling is linked to pathogenesis of heart diseases.
Wenji Dong
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/dong.asp)
Research in my laboratory focuses on the cardiac muscle regulation at the
healthy and diseased states. Specifically, we study the regulatory mechanism of
cardiac thin filament in response to protein phosphorylation and cardiomyopathy
mutations of contractile proteins. We also are interested in developing a
next-generation biosensor to detect multiple cardiac biomarkers for heart
disease diagnosis.
Bryan K. Slinker
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/slinker.aspx)
I study the regulation of cardiac function, cardiac angiotensins, and
biostatistics.
Central Nervous System
Stacia B. Moffett
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/moffett.aspx)
Research in my lab focuses on invertebrate neurobiology, CNS regeneration and
behavioral recovery.
James O. Schenk
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/schenk.aspx)
I study neurochemistry, in vivo and in vitro measurements of neuro-transmitters
and transmitter uptake mechanisms.
Cognitive Neuropsychology
Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe
(wsu.edu/psychology/facultystaff/clinical/facultypages/schmitter-edgecombe.html)
My research focuses on evaluating attention and memory issues in both
neurological normal (i.e., both young and older adults) and clinical populations
(e.g., closed-head injury, Parkinson's disease).
Disease
Mark DeSantis
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/desantis.aspx)
The cells of the nervous system can develop incorrectly, get sick, or be
injured. Sometimes they die; sometimes they recover or our bodies compensate.
I am seeking to understand what is going on with cells and the body during those
times.
Joe Harding
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/harding.aspx)
My research focuses on the development of new treatment options for
neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and stroke.
Steve Simasko
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/simasko.aspx)
The goal of the research in my laboratory is to develop physiological insights,
from the cellular and molecular level to the integrated behavior of the whole
animal, into the processes that influence diseases with significant behavioral
components, such as obesity and addiction.
Drug Abuse and Interactions
Yan Dong
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/dongy.aspx) Our long-term research
interest is to understanding the neural mechanisms through which the brain
perceives, differentiates, and prioritizes the motivational signals. We use drug
addiction as the animal model. Our central hypothesis is that repeated exposure
to strong incentive stimuli, such as cocaine intake, rewires the microcircuits
within the brain reward pathway, leading to pathological prioritization of
drug-related motivation. We employ multidisciplinary approaches including in
vitro and in vivo electrophysiological recordings, molecular manipulations,
biochemical assays and behavioral tests to examine this hypothesis.
Barbara Sorg
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/sorg.aspx)
I am examining the effects of stress and cocaine on the brain and behavior. I
also study how certain environmental chemicals effect the brain and behavior.
Mike Morgan
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/morgan.aspx)
The goal of my research is to determine the neural mechanisms underlying pain
modulation and morphine tolerance.
Raymond M. Quock
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/quock.aspx)
Our research program focuses on elucidating pharmacological mechanisms of
anxiety and pain control.
Eating Controls
Robert and Sue Ritter
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/ritter-r.aspx
OR
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/ritter-s.asp) Our research focuses
on eating disorders associated with brain function.
Suzanne M. Appleyard (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/Appelyard_S.aspx)
The main focus of my lab is to determine how neuronal circuits control energy
balance and whether these pathways are altered during disease states such as
obesity.
Endocrine System
Hurbert Schwabl
(http://www.crb.wsu.edu/3FacultyPages/Schwabl.html)
My research is in environmental physiology with focus on the role of the
endocrine system in physiological and behavioral responses of animals, in
particular of birds, to the environment.
Excercise Physiology
Sally E. Blank (http://www.spokane.wsu.edu/academic/health_sciences/exercise_science/faculty_SBlankbio.asp)
My research focuses on stress physiology and the role of exercise stress in
mechanisms regulating immunity and skeletal muscle metabolism.
E. Carolyn Johnson
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/johnson_c.aspx)
My research targets control of angiogenesis, the role of angiogenesis in
atherosclerosis and the effects of different stressors such as exercise and
hypoxia on microvascular growth.
Motor Control
David Lin
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/lin.aspx) I
study the contribution of muscle and spinal reflex properties for the control of
posture and movement. The research in my laboratory extends from single muscle
fibers to human postural control.
Leslie Sprunger
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/sprunger.aspx)
Normal, coordinated movement requires complex interactions between body and
brain. My lab uses an integrative approach to study neural control of movement,
movement disorders, and the role of genetic mechanisms known to influence the
severity of neurologic disease.
Anita Vasavada
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/vasavada.aspx)
My research explores the interaction of musculoskeletal biomechanics and neural
control in both normal and diseased states. In particular, I use computer
modeling and motion analysis to study control of head movements and basal
ganglia disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
Neural Plasticity
Krzysztof Czaja
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/czaja.aspx) The research interest
of our group is to investigate functional, chemical and structural plasticity
involved in cell survival or death within the nervous system. Our major efforts
are devoted to the study of postnatal adaptive changes of neural circuits to
intrinsic or extrinsic inputs. Most of our work is concentrated on primary
sensory neurons using cell biology, molecular biology and neuroanatomy.
Reproduction
Heiko Jansen
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/jansen.aspx)
Research in my laboratory centers around understanding how the brain controls
reproduction. Specifically, we study the brains of seasonal breeders because
these species undergo an annual (reversible) cycle of fertility and
infertility. Our goal is to identify the neural processes leading to these
profound physiological changes in an effort to facilitate reproductive function.
Catherine M. Ulibarri
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/ulibarri.aspx)
I am studying the molecular, behavioral and neuroanatomical aspects of sexual
differentiation.
Sleep
Greg Belenky
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/belenky.aspx)
We conduct laboratory and field studies of sleep and performance in humans.
Lynn Churchill
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/churchill.aspx)
I investigate how different regions of the brain play a role in sleep function.
James Krueger
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/krueger/)
Humans spend about 27 years of our life asleep. Therefore, sleep and associated
problems are clearly of direct importance to the quality of our life. A
necessary step in determining the function of sleep is to find out how the brain
produces sleep. My laboratory is looking into the biochemical mechanisms
responsible for sleep and sleep function.
David Rector
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/rector.aspx)
My lab is focused on mechanisms of high level sensory processing performed by
the brain and in developing novel neurophysiological and imaging techniques for
whole animal recordings.
Parijat
Sengupta, Ph.D. (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/sengupta.aspx)
Protein-protein communications direct most cellular
functions. My research aims to understand dynamics of a subset of
protein-protein interactions that is relevant to cell signaling and signal
transduction. I use a host of biophysical techniques, molecular biology and
confocal microscopy for my research.
Hans P. A. Van Dongen (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/hans_vandongen.aspx)
My research focuses on the neurobehavioral effects of sleep deprivation and the
underlying sleep/wake and circadian regulatory mechanisms, through laboratory
experiments as well as mathematical modeling.
Jonathan Wisor
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/wisor.asp)
My research utilizes genetics and pharmacology to study the neurobiological
basis for sleep need and the circadian timing of sleep.
Vision and Hearing
Peter G. Fuerst
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/fuerst.asp) The differential
adhesion hypothesis of neural development posits that spatial-organization and
synaptic coupling of the nervous system is organized by, Ig-superfamily and
other cell adhesion molecules. The retina
is a well-characterized neural tissue containing at least fifty-five types of
neurons whose integration into functional circuits is required for vision and
circadian behavior. The retina is
therefore a relatively simple neural tissue and yet sufficiently complex to
study the differential adhesion hypothesis.
The vertebrate Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule (Dscam) gene family,
composed of Dscam and Dscam-Like1, is emerging as a key mediator of spatial and
synaptic organization within the developing retina.
Our research is focused on identifying the mechanism by which molecular
recognition cues such as Dscam and Dscaml1 pattern the nervous system using a
combination of fluorescent and transgenic mouse models to image the developing
nervous system.
Robert Patterson
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/patterson.aspx)
My research centers around basic visual mechanisms of depth and motion
perceptions. This research is important to the development of synthetic vision
(virtual reality) displays in human engineering.
Christine Portfors (http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/portfors/portfors_home.html)
In my laboratory we are studying the neural mechanisms used by bats and mice to
analyze complex sounds such as communication sounds. We use a variety of
neurophysiological, neuroanatomical and behavioral techniques to study the
auditory system of these animals.
Deborah Stenkamp
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/stenkamp.aspx)
My lab is researching the cellular and molecular mechanisms of vertebrate
retinal development.
Michael Varnum
(http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/varnum.aspx)
I am investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the activity of ion
channels that are vital to vision and olfaction. Current experiments are
directed toward understanding the functional basis for identified retinal
diseases that been linked to mutations in the genes encoding these proteins.
