Education
B.S., Villanova University
Ph.D., University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Research Interest
Cellular electrical activity is critically dependent upon the activity of a group of proteins called ion channels. The regulation of excitability is dependent on not only the intrinsic biophysical properties of these channels but also on their number and localization. My laboratory is interested in the targeting and localization of one subtype of ion channels, voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels. Kv channels are possibly the most diverse family of ion channels, which allows for very precise regulation of excitability. Most cells express multiple isoforms of Kv channels, with each type targeted to a different part of the cell ? for example, Kv1.4 channels are localized to the axon, Kv2.1 channels are found only on the cell body and Kv4.2 channels are targeted to the dendritic arbor.
Our current focus is on understanding the mechanisms that underlie the specific distribution of these Kv channels and how channel localization affects electrical signaling. We use an interdisciplinary approach to address these questions in acutely dissociated cells as well as primary neuronal cultures. Techniques we use include electrophysiology, single molecule imaging, live cell fluorescence imaging, immunocytochemistry, protein biochemistry, molecular biology and transgenic mice.