Emeritus

Berkley studied the neural mechanisms underlying pelvic visceral pain and endometriosis. Her work examined the influence of reproductive status and the endocannabinoid system on pelvic pain and on neural and visceral functions.

Contreras studied how the rodent peripheral gustatory system codes information about taste quality and intensity, as well as how internal factors, e.g., sodium deprivation and hormones, and external factors, e.g., taste stimulus temperature, influence taste coding using electrophysiological recording methods in parallel with taste-mediated behavior.

Elam's research centered on the roles of glycoproteins in nerve-cell maintenance and response to injury. A particular focus was on molecules that are moved down the nerve-cell axon by the process of axonal transport and on a specific subclass of glycoproteins called proteoglycans, which play important functional roles in axonal-synaptic physiology and in the guidance of axons during developmental or regenerative growth.

Freeman studied the role of the hypothalamus in regulating the secretion of hormones from the pituitary gland that are involved in reproductive processes. He was particularly interested in the role of dopamine in controlling the secretion of prolactin, the hormone that controls milk synthesis in the mammary gland.

Hull investigated the neuroendocrine control of male sexual behavior in rodent models. Her research centered on the roles of dopamine and glutamate in mediating sexual proficiency due to sexual experience. She also studied how the circuitry underlying sexual behavior is integrated with that subserving other motivated behaviors.

Hyson's research examined how sensory experience influences the development of the nervous system and determines what organisms learn.

Johnson's research examined the neural and sensory mechanisms underlying the production of bird song in a zebra finch model. He used mathematical modeling of the intrinsic physiology and network connectivity of participating neural populations to understand how the brain brings temporal order to a set of elemental vocal gestures, e.g., song syllables, to form a purposeful sequence, e.g., the song.

Meredith studied female-to-male and male-to-male chemosignaling in golden hamsters and mice as a model to analyze sensory mechanisms, in particular those leading to sensory control of behavior. His research focused on the functional mapping of brain areas responsible for socially-relevant stimuli and the effects of reproductive experience on chemosensory transmission.

Olcese investigated the role of cellular circadian clocks and hormonal outputs of the central circadian clock on neurological and physiological events, including sleep, cognitive performance, e.g., learning and memory, and the timing of human labor. He was particularly interested in studying the role of sleep and the brain hormone melatonin on cognitive changes that accompany aging, especially in the context of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Rashotte studied the mechanisms of energy regulation and feeding in mammals and birds, as well as the metabolic, thermal, and cardiovascular adaptations to varied climatic and nutritional conditions.

Smith studied taste sensitivity in animals, conditioned taste aversions, animal psychophysics, the microstructure of feeding and drinking, and the behavioral and physiological effects of high intensity magnetic fields.

Stephan studied the localization and function of biological clocks in vertebrates. He was particularly interested in studying the roles of light and food in entraining signals for circadian rhythms, obesity, sleep and reproduction.

Trombley's research investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal excitability and the efficacy of synaptic transmission. A primary focus was to characterize the types and quantities of gliotransmitters secreted from astrocytes, a type of glial cell that is involved in synaptic transmission.