Current News & Announcements
Older news articles can be found here.
2008-04-30
Linda Buck elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Linda Buck, affiliate professor of Physiology & Biophysics and member of the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is one of 190 new fellows elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She was recognized for her pioneering studies that clarified how the olfactory system works. Linda has received numerous other awards, including the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Stephen Lisberger, who received his PhD in our department and is now Professor of Physiology at UCSF, was also elected to the 2008 AAAS class. Bertil Hille has been a member of the AAAS since 1998.
See also: Linda Buck elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2008-04-30
Roberto Malinow presents 18th Annual Einar Hille Memorial Lecture in Neurosciences
Roberto Malinow, the Shiley-Marcos Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease at UC San Diego, presented the 2008 Hille Lecture. Dr. Malinow studies synaptic plasticity and is cited for discovering silent synapses, showing that trafficking of AMPA receptors is involved in LTP and demonstrating that Amyloid Precursor Protein processing alters synaptic function.
The Hille Lecture honors Professor Einar Hille, an internationally renowned mathematician who spent most of his academic career at Yale. The Hille Lecture was established in 1989 by a generous gift to the Department of Physiology & Biophysics by the late Mrs. Kirsti Hille in honor of her husband.
See also: Alzheimer's disease expert to present Hille Lecture April 22
2008-04-24
Science Thursday for construction workers featured in the Seattle PI and University Week
Science Thursday was initiated to inform the construction workers on the H/G wing renovation project about the research that will be done in the laboratories that they are renovating. Last week, Science Thursday was featured in an article in the Seattle PI. Jane Sullivan discussed her research on Alzheimer’s Disease. Other speakers in this series have included Stan Froehner and Chip Asbury.
Also, see "Construction workers take science breaks" published in the April 24th edition of University Week.
2008-04-04
Albert Fuchs presents Bárány Society Plenary Lecture
Albert Fuchs, professor of Physiology & Biophysics and Core Staff member of the Washington National Primate Research Center, presented the plenary lecture at the XXV Bárány Society Meeting held in Kyoto, Japan. Albert discussed his research on "Saccade Adaptation and the Oculomotor Cerebellum".
The Bárány Society was founded in 1960 in honor of the late Robert Bárány who was professor at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. Bárány Society conferences have been held since 1960. In 2002, the Bárány Conference met in Seattle.
2008-04-03
Collages by Eb Fetz featured on Journal of Physiology Paris covers
2008-03-14
Rubel Lab screens for drugs that protect against hearing loss
From the University of Washington Office of News and Information - Zebrafish provide useful screening tool for genes, compounds that protect against hearing loss
2008-02-06
Wordeman Lab sweeps CellDance 2007 awards at ASCB
Two members of the Wordeman laboratory, Jason Stumpff (postdoctoral fellow) and Kathleen Rankin (graduate student) took First and Second place, respectively, in the 3rd Annual CellDance competition held at the American Society for Cell Biology conference. The CellDance competition is intended to open the eyes of the world to the best in visually stunning videos that highlight cell biology. Jason’s four short videos, which earned him a cash prize of $500 and complementary meeting registration, showed kinetochore movement in a HeLa cell moving through the cell cycle. Kathleen’s three videos captured anaphase spindle oscillations in HeLa cells depleted of MCAK. She received a cash prize of $300.
Their videos can be accessed from this page.
2008-02-01
Bill Zagotta honored with Kenneth S. Cole Award in Biophysics
Bill Zagotta, professor of Physiology & Biophysics and HHMI investigator, received the Kenneth S. Cole Award in Membrane Biophysics at the 2008 annual meeting of the Biophysical Society. The award recognizes Bill’s major contributions to research in the area of membrane biophysics. Bill’s laboratory studies the structure and function of ion channels, focused on cyclic nucleotide-gated channels.
K. S. Cole was an American biophysicist whose seminal studies of the squid giant axon in the mid-1930s demonstrated that membrane conductance increased during propagation of an action potential. J. Walter Woodbury, former professor of Physiology & Biophysics, was instrumental in establishing the K. S. Cole award. Previous award recipients include Bertil Hille, who shared the award with Clay Armstrong in 1975. In addition, five former students and postdoctoral fellows of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics have received the Cole award.
2008-02-01
Arriving at neuroscience via physics
A conversation with Adrienne Fairhall
2007-12-27
2007 PBIO Holiday Party Photos
This year's PBIO holiday party was held at the home of Bertil Hille. See photos of the festivities here.
2007-12-18
Justin Percival awarded Development Grant from Muscular Dystrophy Association
Justin Percival, a senior fellow in the Froehner laboratory, has been awarded a Development Grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association for his studies on the role on neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in muscle degeneration in the mdx mouse, an animal model for human Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The grant is intended to aid senior postdocs in their transition to independent investigators. Dr. Percival’s research is focused on a form of nNOS that may regulate trafficking of proteins to the muscle membrane.
2007-11-16
Charles Zuker presents 2007 Lamport Lecture
Charles Zuker, Distiguished Professor of Biology and HHMI Investigator at UC San Diego, presented the 27th annual Lamport Lecture. Dr. Zuker is renowned for his studies of sensory systems, focusing on vision, mechanosensory and, most recently, mammalian taste. His lecture on "The receptors, cells and coding logic for mammalian taste" presented new results on the ability of taste receptors in the tongue to distinguish among salt, sour, sweet and umami sensations.
The lecture, one of three endowed lectureships sponsored by the Department, is named for Harold Lamport, a physician who had broad interests in the application of mathematics and physics to medicine. He was an expert in blood circulation and held faculty positions at Columbia and Yale, before becoming professor of Physiology & Biophysics at Mt Sinai, a post he held until his death in 1975. Lamport was a true Renaissance man, publishing prolifically in science, finance, drama, literature, population control and ecology. Several universities throughout the world have lectureships named in his honor.
2007-11-16
Fernando Santana named Established Investigator of the American Heart Association
Fernando Santana, associate professor of Physiology & Biophysics, has been named an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association. The award, one of 25 EIs given by AHA this year, is intended to support mid-term investigators in a rapid career growth phase with unusual promise, a commitment to studies of the cardiovascular system and an established record of accomplishments. The 5 year award of approximately $500,000 will support Dr. Santana's research on the function of calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle and their role in hypertension.
2007-10-31
Adrienne Fairhall receives Career Development Award from Society for Neuroscience
Adrienne Fairhall, assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics, has been selected to receive the 2007 Society for Neuroscience Career Development award. The award recognizes early career stage neuroscientists who "have already published substantial contributions to science.... and show indications of leadership in ideas, organization or in other ways manifest for her colleagues within the scientific community". Dr. Fairhall will be honored at the Committee for Women in Neuroscience (C-WIN) awards ceremony at the SfN annual meeting next week in San Diego.
2007-09-17
Jonathan Ting and Hiro Watari receive Next Generation Award from Society for Neuroscience
Two PhD students in the Sullivan lab, Jonathan Ting and Hiro Watari, will receive the first ever SfN “Next Generation Award” for their work in establishing the Neurobiology & Behavior Community Outreach student organization at the UW. They share the award with Bryan White, a graduate student in Pharmacology. Jonathan, Hiro, and Bryan were nominated by the Pacific Cascade Chapter of SfN. They will be honored for their achievement at the Society for Neuroscience Awards Reception and Social at the annual conference in San Diego. As part of the Next Generation Award, the local chapter will receive $2,000 to be used to continue the chapter's outreach efforts. In addition, each member of the team will receive a $300 honorarium.
image courtesy of Neuroscience Quarterly, Winter 2008
2007-07-25
Adrienne Fairhall named McKnight Scholar in Neuroscience
Adrienne Fairhall, assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics, is one of seven new McKnight Scholars selected nationwide for 2007-2009. The award, given to neuroscientists in the early stages of their careers to focus on disorders of learning and memory, will support Adrienne’s research on "Intrinsic Contributions to Adaptive Computation and Gain Control."
2007-05-25
Manuel F. Navedo receives AHA Scientist Development Award
Manuel F. Navedo, a senior fellow in the Santana Lab, was awarded a Scientist Development Award from the American Heart Association for his work on Ca2+ sparklets in arterial smooth muscle. Each year the AHA gives this award to a small group of outstanding young cardiovascular scientists to help their transition toward independence. Manuel will be funded by the AHA for the next four years.
2007-04-26
Chip Asbury honored in Early Career Award Recognition Ceremony
Chip Asbury is one of five UW assistant professors selected to participate in the first Early Career Award Recognition Symposium. The symposium, sponsored by by Provost Phyllis Wise and Vice Provost for Research Mary Lidstrom is intended to give UW's rising stars a chance to shine.
Chip was named a Packard Fellow and a Searle Scholar, two highly competitive, prestigious awards for early career scientists.
See also: uweek.org "University's rising stars to shine in Early Career Award Recognition Symposium"
2007-04-09
Gail Mandel presents 2007 Hille Lecture
see Mandel to present Hille Memorial Lecture April 12, University Week, April 5, 2007
2007-04-09
UW School of Medicine ranks second in U.S. in NIH funding
see U.W. School of Medicine ranks first in U.S., University Week, April 5, 2007
2007-02-03
Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index: Department ranks in top 10 nationally
In an assessment of Faculty Scholarly Productivity conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Department of Physiology & Biophysics was ranked ninth in the nation in the discipline of physiology. Included in the analysis were 221 research universities. The productivity of faculty members was judged on three factors: number and citations of publications, federal grant dollars received, and honors and awards.
Overall, faculty scholarship in 114 disciplines was analyzed. The University of Washington received top 10 rankings in 31 disciplines, including Genetics and Microbiology (both ranked #1), Anatomy (#2), Molecular Biology (#3), Cell Biology (#4), Immunology (#9) and Neuroscience (#10). Many Physiology & Biophysics faculty members were included in the molecular biology, cell biology and neuroscience assessments.
2007-01-20
Greg Horwitz appointed assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics
Greg Horwitz has joined the faculty as assistant professor (tenure track) and core staff member of the Washington National Primate Research Center. Greg received his undergraduate training at Harvard in computational neuroscience and his PhD in neuroscience from Stanford. Before moving to Seattle, Greg was a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute where he studied color vision in non-human primates and assisted in the development of genetic techniques for reversible neuronal inactivation. He plans to continue and merge both lines of research in his new laboratory.
When he is not in the lab, Greg enjoys playing guitar, camping, and trying new foods.
2006-12-07
Jane Sullivan presents Science in Medicine Lecture
Jane Sullivan was selected by the School of Medicine to present the annual New Investigator Science in Medicine Lecture for the 2006-07 academic year. The lecture, entitled "What Goes Wrong at Synapses with Alzheimer’s Disease" was exceptionally well attended by PhD and MD students, faculty from many departments and non-science members of the Seattle community interested in Alzheimer’s Disease.
Results from Jane’s lab showing that APP alters synaptic transmission will be published soon in PNAS. Mutations in APP cause a former of early onset inherited Alzheimer’s Disease.
Launched in 1974, the Science in Medicine Lecture series recognizes outstanding research conducted by faculty members at the School of Medicine.
2006-12-07
2006 Lamport Lecture presented by Ron Vale
Ron Vale, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, and an HHMI Investigator at UC San Francisco presented this year's Lamport Lecture. The central theme of Dr. Vale's research is microtubule based motor proteins. He has received numerous awards for his contributions, including election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2001. Following Dr. Vale's presentation on "Dynein - the next frontier of cytoskeletal motor proteins", a celebratory dinner was held a Ponti Seafood Grill.
The Lamport Lecture is one of three endowed lectureships sponsored by the Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
2006-11-14
Fetz Laboratory Publishes work on Brain-Computer Interface in Nature
Eb Fetz and his colleagues, Andrew Jackson and Jaideep Mavoori, have demonstrated in a paper just published in Nature that an electronic neural implant can strengthen synaptic transmission in neurons that control movement. See this article in UW News for more information. The research was featured in the journal's News and Views commentary section.
2006-11-13
Chip Asbury receives Packard Fellowship for Science & Engineering
Charles (Chip) Asbury, assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics, has been awarded a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering. Chip is one of 20 new Packard Fellows who will receive funding of $625,000 over 5 years. The intent of the Fellowship Program is to provide support for unusually creative researchers early in their careers. The fellowship will support his research on the biophysics of motor proteins and their role in cell division. Earlier this year, Chip was named a Searle Scholar and was last year's Marian Smith awardee.
2006-10-28
Sonya Schuh-Huerta named Homecoming Royalty Scholar
After being selected as one of 12 finalists to be interviewed by a panel of UW representatives from various departments and programs, Sonya Schuh-Huerta, a PBIO graduate student in the Hille laboratory, was selected as one of 6 students to represent UW as a Homecoming Royalty Scholar. These awards are given each year for academic, campus, and community contributions and leadership. The two top winners of the court were announced at the Homecoming Rally in Red Square, then at a brunch with President Emmert, and at the Homecoming Football game between the 1st and 2nd quarters. Sonya was selected as one of the two top winners or "queens" for which she received $1000. The entire court was awarded sashes, flowers, UW Bookstore gift certificates, the President's Brunch, and seats for them and their families in the President's Box at the Homecoming Game. These awards replace the traditional Homecoming King and Queen to avoid gender-specific awards and are based on scholarship, rather than popularity. Now they are given to two individuals who have excelled in academics, community contributions, and leadership at the university.
2006-10-01
Linda Buck elected to the Institute of Medicine
Linda Buck is one of 65 new members elected to the Institute of Medicine. One of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health, membership in the IOM "recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health". This latest award is one of several that Linda has won since joining the department as an affiliate professor in 2003. These include election to the National Academy of Sciences and the Gairdner Award, both in 2003, and the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Linda is the second member of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics to be named to membership in the Institute of Medicine. Bertil Hille was elected in 2002.
2006-09-30
Eb Fetz receives Javits Neuroscience Award from NIH
Eb Fetz, professor of Physiology & Biophysics and core staff member of the Washington National Primate Research Center, has received a Javits Neuroscience Award from the NIH. The award is given to individual investigators who have demonstrated exceptional scientific excellence and productivity in research supported by the NINDS and who are expected to conduct innovative research over the next 7 years. This Javits award (his second) will allow Eb to continue studies on how cells in the motor cortex and spinal cord contribute to movement. His other studies in animals hope to show how the nervous system adapts to a BCI as an artificial motor pathway, leading to a greater understanding of the capacity of the brain for plasticity. Implications for retraining the brain via BCI devices could significantly improve quality of life for persons with paralysis, head trauma, motor neuron disease, or other conditions that affect the ability to move or control their own movement.
The Javits award is named for the late Senator Jacob Javits, a strong supporter of NIH and research on neurological diseases, who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
2006-07-06
Marv Adams, Fernando Santana, and Linda Wordeman promoted
Three faculty members in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics have been promoted, effective July 1. Marv Adams was promoted to Research Associate Professor, Fernando Santana became Associate Professor with tenure and Linda Wordeman was promoted to Professor.
Congratulations to our colleagues on their well-deserved promotions!
2006-06-28
Charles "Rick" Rossow receives the Young Investigator Award of the International Society for Heart Research
Dr. Charles "Rick" Rossow, a senior fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Luis Fernando Santana in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, has received the 2006 Young Investigator Award of the North American Section of the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR). This award is given annually "to recognize outstanding research in the field of cardiovascular science by young investigators". Dr. Rossow was one of five finalists chosen form a large group of applicants for the award. Dr. Rossow was honored for his work on the signaling pathways regulating the function of voltage-gated K+ channels in ventricular myocytes during physiological conditions and during the development of heart failure. His research on signal transduction and excitation-transcription coupling was recently highlighted in an editorial by Dr. Wayne Giles and Céline Fiset in the journal Circulation Research.
2006-06-14
Shadlen on "Soccer and the Brain"
Train the brain for successful soccer
2006-06-07
Department ranks 7th nationwide in research funding
The Department of Physiology & Biophysics ranked 7th in research grant funding among all physiology departments in the US. Faculty, postdocs and students in the department garnered more than $8.2 million of research funding, most from the National Institutes of Health. The Department has consistently ranked in the top 10 in this survey conducted by the Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology.
2006-06-01
Linda Buck named UW Alumna of the Year
Linda Buck, affiliate professor of Physiology & Biophysics, a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, has been named 2006 Alumna Summa Laude Dignata by the University of Washington and the UW Alumni Association. Linda is the 66th recipient of this award, the highest honor the University confers upon its graduates. Click here for the full story published in the UW Alumni Magazine.
2006-05-17
Anne Carlson receives Crill Award
Anne Carlson, a PBio graduate student in the laboratory of Bertil Hille and Donner Babcock, received the 2006 Crill Award for outstanding thesis research. Anne’s research focused on "Signaling Mechanisms of Mouse Sperm Capacitation". The award, funded by the Crill Endowment, is presented each year the student whose completed PhD thesis research is deemed outstanding by a faculty committee. Anne will join Bill Zagotta’s laboratory for postdoctoral research.
2006-05-17
Pietro De Camilli presents 5th Annual Crill Lecture
Pietro De Camilli of Yale School of Medicine, presented the 5th annual Wayne E. Crill Graduate Research Lecture. Dr. De Camilli is Eugene Higgins Professor of Cell Biology and Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is internationally known for his research on the molecular mechanisms of presynaptic transmitter release. Dr. De Camilli presented new work from his laboratory on "Endocytic Mechanisms at the Neuronal Synapse".
The Crill Endowment funds this lectureship which honors Wayne Crill for his commitment and contributions to graduate education in the Department and recognizes graduate students conducting research in laboratories of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics and their faculty mentors. After the lecture, a dinner was held at Ray's restaurant on Puget Sound.
photos from the dinner can be seen here.
2006-05-16
Felice Dunn (Rieke Lab) highlighted on the graduate school's website
From Artist to Scientist: Studying the Biology of Vision
An example of Felice's artistic work was featured recently on the cover of the Journal of Neuroscience, in connection with a publication from the Rieke laboratory.
Copyright 2006 by the Society for Neuroscience. Reprinted with permission. See Dunn et al. (2006) Controlling the gain of rod-mediated signals in the mammalian retina. J. Neurosci. 26: 3959-3970
2006-04-26
David Clapham presents Hille Lecture: Ion Channels - Bacteria to Brain
David Clapham, the Aldo R. Casteñaeda Professor of Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, presented the Einar Hille Memorial Lecture in Neuroscience on April 26. Dr. Clapham is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The central theme of Dr. Clapham’s research is regulation of ion channels. In pioneering work in the 1980s, his group showed that ion channels in the heart can be regulated by direct interaction with Gβγ subunits, and that this interaction slows the heart rate. More recently, he has shifted his attention to transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, which are regulated by membrane lipids, temperature, and compounds such as capsaicin. Another area of investigation is the role of ion channels in sperm motility and his lab has recently discovered ion channels in bacteria.
Dr. Clapham has received numerous awards including the Cole Award for Contributions to Membrane Biophysics, the American Heart Association Basic Research Prize, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Two days before the lecture, Dr. Clapham was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Later this year, he will receive the Bristol-Myers-Squibb Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research.
Following the lecture, a dinner in Dr. Clapham’s honor was held at the Columbia Tower. [see photos here]
The Hille Lecture honors Professor Einar Hille, an internationally known mathematician who spent most of his academic career at Yale. The lectureship was established in 1989 by a generous gift to the Department of Physiology & Biophysics from the late Mrs. Kirsti Hille.
2006-04-24
Chip Asbury named Searle Scholar
Chip Asbury, assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics, has been named a 2006 Searle Scholar. The Searle Scholars Program supports the research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry. This year, 15 new Scholars were selected nationwide for this prestigious award. Approximately 120 academic institutions were invited to nominate faculty members in the first two years of their appointment as assistant professors. The Program focuses on young scientists in the chemical and biological sciences who have already done important, innovative research and who show potential for making continued significant contributions to biological research.
The Searle Scholar award will support Chip’s research on the molecular basis of biological motion. His lab focuses on the biophysical mechanisms by which molecular protein motors generate force and movement in biological processes, including chromosome separation during mitosis and the transport of cargo vesicles along microtubules.
Chip is the first faculty member in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics to win this award. Since the program was established in 1981, ten other faculty members at the University of Washington have received the Searle Scholar Award.
2006-03-13
Tom Linder receives Faculty Award for Distinguished Teaching
Tom Linder, senior lecturer in Physiology & Biophysics, has been selected as the recipient of the Faculty Award for Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning. The award is important recognition of outstanding teaching by students and peers who nominate the candidates.
The award, which will be presented at the University's Annual Recognition Ceremony on June 8, recognizes Tom's long-standing contributions and excellence in teaching physiology in the Medical Engineering Program. Tom also serves as course director and lecturer in the department's Physiology course for Pharmacy students.
2006-01-19
Fred Rieke receives Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences
Dr. Fred Rieke, associate professor of Physiology & Biophysics, has received the 2006 Troland Research Award, one of 15 awards given by the National Academy of Sciences for major contributions to science. The Troland Research Award is given annually to each of two recipients to recognize "unusual achievement and to further their research within the broad spectrum of experimental psychology", focused on research utilizing a quantitative approach. Dr. Rieke was honored for his "experimental and theoretical analyses of information coding in the central nervous system and its relation to perception." His research on signal transduction and biophysical mechanisms of adaptation in the retina has been widely recognized, most recently by his appointment as an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2005.
Dr. Rieke shares the Troland Award with Marvin M. Chun of Yale University. The Troland Research Awards, which provide $50,000 for support of research in the recipients’ laboratories, were established by a bequest from Leonard T. Troland and have been presented since 1984. Dr. Rieke is the first faculty member at the University of Washington to receive the Troland Research Award.
See also: uwnews.org "Rieke to receive 2006 NAS award"
2006-01-01
Wayne Crill appointed emeritus professor
Wayne Crill has been appointed emeritus professor, effective January 1, 2006. Wayne received his MD from the University of Washington in 1962 and joined the Department in 1967 as an assistant professor, with a joint appointment in Neurology. He served as chair of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics from 1983-1999.
For his many contributions to the Department and the UW School of Medicine, Wayne has received numerous honors. The Wayne E. Crill Endowment, established by generous contributions from his colleagues, former students and friends, recognizes the important contributions made by graduate students in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics. The Endowment supports the annual Wayne E. Crill Research Lectureship and the Crill Award for Outstanding Graduate research. Recently, through the generosity of Bud Tribble (a former MD-PhD student in Wayne’s lab), and his wife Susan Barnes, the Wayne E. Crill Endowed Professorship in Physiology & Biophysics was established. The Professorship honors Wayne’s many contributions to basic science research, patient care, and his commitment to creating an environment that encourages and supports interdisciplinary learning.
2005-12-20
2005 Lamport Lecture – David Yue
David Yue, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, presented the 2005 Lamport Lecture on December 1. Dr. Yue, an expert on regulation of calcium in neurons and cardiac myocytes, spoke on "Calmodulin regulation of voltage-gated calcium channels - Smart Ca++ detection and biological impact."
The Lamport Lecture is one of three endowed annual lectureships sponsored by the Department of Physiology & Biophyiscs.
2005-12-03
2005 PBIO Holiday Party
The 2005 pbio holiday party took place at Peter Detwiler's house this year. Good food and drinks were had by all.
photos
2005-11-23
Fernando Santana presents New Investigator Science in Medicine Lecture
Fernando Santana gave the New Investigator Science in Medicine Lecture to the School of Medicine science community. This annual lecture features presentations by junior faculty whose research is viewed as exemplary. For more information about Fernando’s current research on the role of ion channel regulation in cardiovascular diseases, see this article at uweek.org.
2005-11-15
Michael Häusser presents 4th Annual Crill Lecture
The 4th annual Wayne E. Crill Graduate Research Lecture was presented by Michael Häusser, PhD of the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London. Dr. Häusser is a leading expert on synaptic integration and information processing in neuronal dendrites. His lecture entitled "Sensory coding by single neurons at the input layer of cerebellar cortex" was attended by a broad range of students and faculty from the UW neuroscience community.
The Crill Lecture honors graduate students conducting research in laboratories in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics and their faculty mentors. Prior to the lecture, the Crill Award for outstanding thesis research was presented to Mark Mazurek, who received his PhD for work done in the Shadlen laboratory.
After the lecture, a dinner was held at Anthony's Homeport Restaurant.
2005-11-07
Journal of Neurophysiology Cover Art by Eb Fetz
Pbio's Eb Fetz designed the cover art used for the November 2005 issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology:
[click image for larger view]
Cover caption: Intracellular recordings from motor cortex neurons of awake behaving monkeys reveal normal synaptic potentials and intrinsic membrane potential properties. Front: traces at bottom illustrate intracellular recordings during alternating flexion-extension movements about the wrist, with torque and EMGs of agonist forearm muscles. Yellow trace to right of micropipette (top) shows fluctuating membrane potentials and truncated action potentials of a precentral neuron in an awake monkey. Stacked traces below show averaged interspike interval trajectories of this neuron, revealing a rebound afterhyperpolarization (rAHP) lasting - 30 ms. Such rAHPs were found in a class of precentral cells that tended to fire at 30 Hz and may represent an intrinsic pacemaker mechanism contributing to cortical oscillations. Top right shows the same trajectories superimposed. Back: top left is schematic diagram of electrodes used to record activity in motor cortex (cf. Matsumura et al. J Neurosci 16: 7757-7767, 1996). Top right shows simultaneous recording of extracellular action potentials, local field potentials, and intracellular membrane potentials during an oscillatory episode. Stacked traces show characteristic averaged interspike interval trajectories of neurons with an afterdepolarization (middle right) and smooth scoop-shaped potentials (bottom left). Photo of nemestrina monkey was taken by Mark Murchison of the Tulane National Primate Research Center. From: Chen D-F and Fetz EE. Characteristic membrane potential trajectories in primate sensorimotor cortex neurons recorded in vivo. J Neurophysiol 94: 2713-2725,2005. First published June 29, 2005; doi:10.1152/jn.00024.2005.
2005-10-26
Bertil Hille named Crill Professor
Bertil Hille has been named the first holder of the Wayne E. Crill Endowed Professorship in Physiology & Biophysics. Bertil has been a member of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics since 1968, and is internationally recognized for his biophysical studies of ion channels. His textbook, Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes, is widely used as the definitive source on ion channel structure and function. Bertil has received numerous awards for his research contributions, including the 1999 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award and the 2001 Gairdner Foundation International Award. He was elected to the National Academy of Science in 1986 and the Institute of Medicine in 2002.
The Crill Professorship honors Wayne Crill who was chair of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics from 1983 through 1999. The professorship was endowed by Guy Tribble and Susan Barnes. Dr. Tribble received his MD-PhD from the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, where he conducted his thesis research with Wayne Crill.
See also: news article published in the University of Washington School of Medicine Online News (pdf).
2005-09-22
2005 Physiology & Biophysics Retreat
The Department held its annual retreat, officially known as the HD Patton Symposium, at the Sleeping Lady Resort in the Cascade Mountains on September 21 and 22. The event features scientific presentations by faculty members and a poster session in which graduate students and postdoctoral fellows report their latest findings. The "Outstanding Poster Award" this year was shared by Tanya Daigle (Mackie lab) and Felice Dunn (Rieke lab).
In addition to science discussion and social time, the graduate students also present a skit, revealing their true impressions of the faculty, all in good spirit.
For photos of the retreat, click here.
2005-08-09
Phyllis Wise joins UW as Provost and Professor of Physiology & Biophysics
Phyllis Wise has joined the University of Washington as Provost and Professor of Physiology & Biophysics. For the past three years, she has been Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at UC Davis. Prior to moving to Davis, Phyllis was Professor and Chair of Physiology at the University of Kentucky.
Despite a heavy administrative load at Davis, Phyllis maintained an active and internationally recognized research program on endocrine and neurochemical mechanisms regulating plasticity during aging, with emphasis on the female reproductive system. She also studies neuroprotective actions of estrogen after injury and during aging. Phyllis’ research is funded by a 10-year MERIT Award from the NIH (NIA), her second MERIT Award. The excellence of her research program has been recognized by numerous awards including the Solomon Berson Award of the American Physiological Society (1998), the FASEB Excellence in Science Award (2002), the Women in Endocrinology Mentor Award (2003), and the Roy O. Greep Award for Excellence in Endocrine Research (2004), among others.
Here at the University of Washington, Phyllis also holds appointments in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Department of Biology.
2005-08-01
Department ranks 8th in the nation in research grant support
According to a recent survey by the ACDP, the Department of Physiology & Biophysics ranks 8th in the nation among physiology departments in research grant support. Faculty in the department received over $9 million, most from the NIH, during the 2004 fiscal year.
This and other information from the survey can be found here.
2005-07-01
Sharona Gordon and Mike Shadlen receive promotions
Two faculty members in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics have received promotions, effective July 1, 2005.
Sharona Gordon has been promoted to Associate Professor of Physiology & Biophysics (with tenure). Sharona joined the department as a joint faculty member in 1999, and became a primary appointee in 2003.
Mike Shadlen has been promoted to Professor of Physiology & Biophysics (adjunct with Neurology). Mike joined the Department as an assistant professor and core staff scientist in the Washington National Primate Research Center in 1995. He is also an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, appointed in 2000.
2005-07-01
Chip Asbury wins Marian E. Smith Award
Chip Asbury has been named the School of Medicine’s seventh recipient of the Marian E. Smith Junior Faculty Research Award. The award, given to only one junior faculty member each year, will support his research on the molecular basis of biological motion. Chip joined the Department as an assistant professor in 2004.
Chip is the second PBio faculty member to win this award. Fred Rieke was selected for the first Marian E. Smith award in 1999.
2005-06-08
Hollis Cline presents 2005 Einar Hille Lecture
Dr. Hollis Cline, professor and associate director at Cold Spring Harbor Labs, presented the Einar Hille Memorial Lecture in Neurosciences, sponsored by the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. She described how “Activity-Dependent Mechanisms Govern Multiple Aspects of Visual System Development”. After Dr. Cline’s lecture, a dinner celebration was held at the Columbia Tower [photos].
Cline’s research focuses on understanding how sensory experience affects the development of brain structures and function. More specifically, her lab is identifying the cellular mechanisms by which activity in the brain controls the growth of neurons, synapse formation, and the development of organized projections between different brain regions.
Her approach is to study the development of a retinal projection in tadpoles using various imaging, genetic and electrophysiological techniques.
The Cline lab has discovered that neuronal activity regulates the development of the visual system through a variety of mechanisms, including changes in neuronal structure, synaptic strength, synapse formation, and gene expression.
Cline received her B.A. degree in biology from Bryn Mawr College, and a Ph.D. degree in neurobiology from the University of California, Berkeley. She did postdoctoral work with Dr. Martha Constantine-Paton at Yale University, and with Dr. Richard Tsien at Stanford University Medical Center. Among many honors, she has received a McKnight Scholars Award and a Klingenstein Fellowship. She is also a Council member of the Society for Neuroscience.
The Einar Hille Memorial Lecture in Neurosciences was established by Kirsti Hille in honor of her late husband. Dr. Hille was a professor of mathematics at Yale University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Bertil Hille, son of Einar and Kirsti Hille, is a professor of physiology and biophysics at the UW.
(Adapted from University Week)