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FSU NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM
THE RUSHTON LECTURES - 2002 SYMPOSIUM
The Changing Brain: Development, Plasticity, Regeneration
April 5, 2002
Turnbull Conference Center
The Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Freda Miller, Ph.D., Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Canada
"The Life and Death of Developing Neurons" and
"Activity, neurotrophins and stem cells; plasticity in the nature nervous system"
Dr. Freda Miller examines how neurons develop, grow and survive, information central to understanding how nerve cells
can repair themselves following injury and be protected from neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Miller investigates inter- and
intra-cellular signals that allow neurotrophins (nerve growth factors) to keep neurons alive and growing and to manipulate
these signals with the hope that this will bring insights into potential therapies for the diseased or traumatized nervous
system. Dr. Miller and her team have also recently isolated adult stem cells culled from rat skin that are pluripotent and may
be differentiated into fat, muscle or even brain cells - potential replacements for damaged neurons.
Peter J. Mombaerts, M.D., Ph.D., The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
"Targeting olfaction" and
"Mouse cloning and embryonic stem cells."
Dr. Mombaerts applies gene-targeting technology to address basic questions in olfaction (sense of smell), axon guidance,
regulation of olfactory receptor gene expression and olfactory perception. Investigations include the role of olfactory
receptor molecules in guiding axonal navigation to the glomerular target in the olfactory bulb and testing the hypothesis that
olfactory receptor gene expression is controlled by DNA rearrangements. Recently, using expertise in gene manipulation in
embryonic stem cells, Dr. Mombaerts has derived embryonic stem cells with custom tailored genotype and the ability to be
differentiated into a range of mature cell types, including neurons.
Richard B. Simerly, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
"How steroid hormones specify the architecture of sexually dimorphic forebrain pathways."
Dr. Simerly studies the cellular mechanisms underlying the development and regulation of sexually dimorphic neural
pathways in the mammalian forebrain. The development of the brain is dependent on complex interactions between genetic
factors and environmental influences such as neuronal activity, growth factors and circulating hormones. Sex steroid
hormones secreted by the gonads can determine the number and chemical phenotype of specific sets of neurons during
development, as well as regulate the activity of these cells throughout life.
Oswald Steward, Ph.D., the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California, Irvine
"Activity-dependent Targeting of mRNA to synaptic sites on dendrites."
Dr. Steward has a long history of research in mechanisms of protein synthesis at synaptic sites. Recent work shows that
mRNA is transported specifically to active synaptic sites, which may allow selective protein-synthesis related to synaptic
plasticity. In other recent research his group also uses a forward genetic approach to define the cellular processes that occur
after injury- leading either to progressive degeneration on the one hand or cellular repair on the other. This approach takes
advantage of inbred strains of mice that carry genes causing fundamentally different cellular responses to injury.
Organizing Committee: Cathy Levenson (Chair),
Michael Meredith, Paul Trombley, and Zuoxin Wang