Allan Gulledge, PhD
Title(s)
Associate Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology
Department(s)
Molecular and Systems Biology
Education
University of California, Riverside, BS 1991
University of Texas, San Antonio, PhD 2000
Programs
Neuroscience Center at Dartmouth
Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine
Websites
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Contact Information
Geisel School of Medicine
74 College Street
Vail 601
Hanover NH 03755
Office: Vail 601
Phone: 603-646-5249
Email: allan@dartmouth.edu
Asst. Phone: 603-646-5250
Professional Interests
Our research focus is the cerebral cortex, an area of the brain that serves as the biological substrate for the higher cognitive functions that define us as individuals. We wish to identify the mechanisms by which individual cortical neurons process and transmit information within the cortical circuit. To accomplish this we employ electrical and optical recording techniques that measure neuronal activity in neocortical neurons under a variety of experimental conditions.
Currently, we are investigating signal transduction events that are mediated by a variety of "modulatory" neurotransmitters that are critical for normal cognition and directly involved in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. These modulators (such as acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine) activate a variety of receptor subtypes to initiate biochemical signaling cascades within neurons that influence excitability and synaptic transmission. Because there are many different cell types within the cortex, each expressing a unique combination of receptors, neuromodulators can have different, or even opposite, effects on specific neuronal subpopulations. By examining how neuromodulators regulate the activity of many types of cortical neuron, we aim to identify their functional role in facilitating information flow within cortical circuits. This knowledge will provide insight into normal cognition, and may reveal mechanisms contributing to neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, schizophrenia, and age-dependent dementia.
Rotations and Thesis Projects
There are a great many mysteries regarding the physiology of the neocortex that remain to be discovered. Among other opportunities, students may wish to consider:
1. Identification of the molecular mechanism(s) by which G-protein-coupled receptors regulate the output of cortical neurons.
2. Characterization of the synaptic release processes that are modified by presynaptic metabotropic and ionotropic receptors.
3. Determination of the role of calcium in regulating the activity of cortical neurons.
4. Revealing plasticity in serotonin receptor expression in cortical neurons driven by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine.
5. Characterizing the impact of neuronal morphology in synaptic integration.
More information available at https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/gulledge/
Grant Information
R01 MH124934: Coordinated modulation of cortical circuits by serotonin and acetylcholine
Project period: 09/13/21-06/30/26
PI: Allan Gulledge
R01 MH099054: Neuromodulation of cortical circuits in health and disease
Project period: 08/01/13-07/31/18
PI: Allan Gulledge
R01-MH083806: Cholinergic signaling in cortical neurons: a unifying hypothesis
Project period: 07/11/08-06/30/13
PI: Allan Gulledge
NSF 0922631: MRI: Acquisition of a multi-photon imaging and electrophysiology rig
Project period: 08/01/2009 - 07/31/2012
PI: Allan Gulledge
NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2009): CCK-Positive Large Basket Neurons as a Source of Cortical Activation in ADHD
Project Period: 01/01/2010 - 12/31/2012
PI: Allan Gulledge
Neuroscience Center at Dartmouth Collaborative/Translational Funding Award: Cholinergic mechanisms involved in cue discrimination
Project Period: 01/01/2008 - 01/01/2009
PI: Allan Gulledge & David Bucci
Courses Taught
Scientific Basis of Disease (PEMM 101)
Neurobiology of Disease (PEMM 211)
Neurosciences II (PEMM 212)
Advanced Biomedical Science (PEMM 271)
Medical Neuroscience (MDED 115)
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology (PHSL.110)
Graduate Ethics Course (Ethics in Science) (UNSG.100.04)
Biography
Dr. Gulledge received his B.S. in Psychobiology from the University of California, Riverside in 1991, and his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Texas, San Antonio in 2000. He then conducted postdoctoral research at the Australian National University (2000-2005) as an NSF International Research Fellow, and at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Okazaki, Japan (2005-2007), as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Gulledge joined the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School as an Assistant Professor of Physiology in 2007, and is now a Professor in Molecular and Systems Biology.
Cholinergic activation of corticofugal circuits in the adult mouse prefrontal cortex. Postrhinal cortex contributions to the expression of auditory fear conditioning. Retrosplenial cortex inactivation during retrieval, but not encoding, impairs remotely acquired auditory fear conditioning in male rats. Activity-mediated accumulation of potassium induces a switch in firing pattern and neuronal excitability type. NMDA Receptors Enhance the Fidelity of Synaptic Integration. Corrigendum: Mechanisms Underlying Serotonergic Excitation of Callosal Projection Neurons in the Mouse Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Loss of Neurofascin-186 Disrupts Alignment of AnkyrinG Relative to Its Binding Partners in the Axon Initial Segment. Serotonergic Regulation of Corticoamygdalar Neurons in the Mouse Prelimbic Cortex. Mechanisms Underlying Serotonergic Excitation of Callosal Projection Neurons in the Mouse Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Preferential cholinergic excitation of corticopontine neurons. |
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