Richard Bertram

Hormones are often secreted from endocrine cells in a pulsatile manner, and downstream targets respond optimally to pulsatile input, demonstrating a physiological significance of this pattern of secretion. One focus of the research done in Richard Bertram's lab is the biophysical mechanisms underlying this pulsatility. Much of their work is on insulin-secreting beta cells that are located in pancreatic islets of Langerhans, and on cells of the pituitary gland that secrete hormones related to reproduction and stress. The other major focus of his lab is on mechanisms through which networks of neurons produce patterned behavior. In particular, they are examining the neural basis of birdsong production in the zebra finch, which serves as an excellent model system for learned patterned behavior. The techniques used in the lab are largely mathematical or computational, typically done in close collaboration with experimental labs.