Mechanisms of Neuromodulation in Central Neurons

Mechanisms of Neuromodulation in Central Neurons Signaling between cells in the brain relies on electrical and chemical transmission. Ion channels traverse brain cell membranes to serve as conduits for the flow of ionic current, which creates the potential differences across the membrane that are ultimately responsible for triggering release of chemical messengers that act on nearby neurons. The Bayliss lab attempts to characterize neuronal signaling in terms of identifying the molecular basis for neuronal ion channels and understanding cellular mechanisms that modulate their activity. It is particularly interested in studying those ion channels that determine intrinsic excitability of brain cells, because they are often subject to regulation by endogenous neurochemicals and since they ultimately mediate effects of many drugs, therapeutic and otherwise. A number of technical approaches are employed in the Bayliss lab, including chemical neuroanatomy, cellular electrophysiology in brain tissue and transfected cells, molecular biology and in vivo gene transfer. The lab hopes that information combined from these different approaches will illuminate mechanisms responsible for physiological and pharmacological modulation of neuronal excitability.

http://pharm.virginia.edu/FacultyI/Bayliss.html