Research in Neuroscience

<span style="text-align: center; font-size: 16px;">Neuro mentees (Viktor, Amanda, Gabriella on my right, Hannah, Kyra, Samantha, on my left) presenting their research at the Herty Conference, GGC, Fall 2019.</span>

Neuroscience mentees (Viktor, Amanda, Gabriella on my right, Hannah, Kyra, Samantha, on my left) presenting their research findings at the Herty Conference, GGC, Fall 2019.

Mentees at the 2019 ABRCMS conference

(R-L): Martin Penaherrera, Hannah Staley, Mentees at the 2019 ABRCMS conference (R-L): Martin Penaherrera, Hannah Staley, Kyra Brewer, Gabriella Tyler, Sebastian Olteanu. <strong>Hannah (Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience Program at the University of Florida), Kyra (Ph.D. candidate in the Biological Science Program at Morehouse School of Medicine), Gabriella (Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience Program at the University of Notre Dame) were awarded poster presentation prizes in Neuroscience and Martin in Social Sciences and Behavior</strong>Kyra Brewer, Gabriella Tyler, Sebastian Olteanu.

Hannah Staley (accepted to Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at the University of Florida), Kyra (accepted to Ph.D. program in Biological Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine), Gabriella (accepted to Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at the University of Notre Dame) were awarded poster presentation prizes in Neuroscience and Martin was awarded in the Social Sciences and Behavior.

Research Projects

Our lab’s research investigates drugs of abuse (nicotine and alcohol), and the putative neuroprotective effects of nicotine under conditions similar to Parkinson’s Disease.

Behavioral heat maps generated by Ethovision XT shows effects of nicotine on zebrafish swim patterns, compared to control and MPTP exposure.1.

1. Behavioral heat maps above were generated during behavioral analysis of zebrafish using Ethovision XT software showing the differential effects of nicotine on zebrafish swim patterns, compared to control and MPTP exposure.

2. Reactive gliosis was observed following incubation of substantia nigra dopamine neuron cell culture in 200 mM nicotine.  The substantia nigra is the nuclei of the brain that is particularly susceptible to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s Disease.  The activation of glial cells plays a major role in the neuroprotective effects of nicotine.  Our research aims to understand how neuroinflammatory responses, triggered under neurotoxic conditions, could be regulated by nicotine. Image by Fergie Giron, Cell Biology and Biotechnology major, Class of 2019.

3. Published paper by Michelle Hall, Psychology major, Class of 2017 on the synergistic effects of alcohol and nicotine under stressful, anxiogenic conditions: Zebrafish Special Issue of Eastern Biologist

Research students in the lab

Hannah Staley mastering the art of differentiating MN9D cells -a dopaminergic neuron cell line. Hannah's research tied first place at the STaRS research competition!

Hannah Staley mastering the art of differentiating MN9D cells -a dopaminergic neuron cell line. Hannah’s research tied first place at the STaRS research competition!

Kyra Brewer presenting at STaRS. Kyra is spending 10 weeks at Tufts University's Neuroscience REU program, funded by the NSF!

Kyra Brewer  presenting at STaRS. Kyra is spending 10 weeks at Tufts University’s Neuroscience NSF REU program!

STEC 2500 student Gabriela Tyler (front left) represented GGC at the Georgia Capitol’s Undergraduate Research Conference, presenting her work on the effects of Mucuna pruriens on microglial phagocytosis.

Jonathon, Natalie, Jeremy, and Luis working on C. elegans and dopamine cell culture experiments (Spring 2017).
Jonathon, Natalie, Jeremy, and Luis working on C. elegans MPTP-induced motor impairments and dopamine cell culture experiments (Spring 2017).

Techniques and skills practiced by my research students:

  • Zebrafish husbandry
  • Constructing ethograms and behavioral analyses
  • Cell biology techniques – Seeding and maintaining neuronal and glial cell cultures
  • Pharmacology
  • Immunocytochemistry
  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Statistics
  • Reading and discussing primary literature (Neurochemistry journal club – joint biology and chemistry faculty and students)
  • Preparing and practicing oral and poster presentations
  • Optimizing and troubleshooting
  • Maintaining a lab notebook
  • Writing research proposals

This research has been funded by:

2017 – 2018. Cellular and Biochemical Mechanisms Underlying Nicotine’s Neuroprotective Effects. Vice President of Academic Affairs, SEED grants program. Cindy Achat-Mendes (PI), Robert Haining (co-PI).

2016-2017. Cellular and Behavioral Investigations in Nicotine’s Neuroprotective effects: Neuroscience Investigations using Zebrafish Models. University System of Georgia STEM Initiative III, SST STEM Mini-Grant. Award: $8,000. Cindy Achat-Mendes (PI), Robert Haining (co-PI).

2014-2015. Behavioral Neuroscience of Addiction using Zebrafish Models. University System of Georgia STEM Initiative III, SST STEM Mini-Grant. Award: $8,000.Cindy Achat-Mendes (PI).