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Faculty Profile Last Modified Time: 11:56:13 AM Tue, 24 Mar 2020   Contact Information John O'Brien Associated Profiles  Professor, Frederic B. Asche Chair, Ophthalmology & Visual Science, UT Health Science Center at Houston   Medical School Building, Room No.: 7.024    john.obrien@uth.tmc.edu     713.500.5983    Lab Webpage    Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Biochemistry, Electrophysiology, Signal Transduction, Pharmacology, Signaling Pathways, Cellular Neuroscience, Neuron, Synaptic Plasticity, Synapses, Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology    Associated Profiles Professional Preparation Research and Expertise Affiliations Appointments  Professional Preparation  Degree Major Institution Year  PhD Biology University of California, San Diego 1991  BA Biochemistry Bowdoin College 1985  Research and Expertise Research Interests   Information flow in the central nervous system entails a wide variety of synaptic mechanisms encompassing both chemical and electrical synapses, both of which are subject to a great deal of plasticity. Electrical synapses, composed of gap junctions, are key components of neural circuitry throughout the CNS. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the vertebrate retina, where electrical synapses play critical roles in all classes of neurons. These roles include reducing noise at photoreceptor synapses, establishing receptive field sizes of many neurons, coordinating firing of spiking neurons, and establishing oscillations in neural networks. These functions are closely controlled during light adaptation, influencing the sensitivity and resolution of the retina, and accounting for a large part of the network plasticity. The primary focus of work in my lab is on revealing the molecular mechanisms that control network adaptation in the retina. This work includes deciphering the molecular properties of electrical synapses in retinal neurons and identifying the signaling pathways that regulate their function. We use mammalian and zebrafish model systems as well as expression systems to study these mechanisms. Our recent work has revealed complex GPCR and protein kinase/phosphatase signaling pathways that control photoreceptor coupling and AII amacrine cell coupling.  Publications/Creative Works Click here to search for this faculty member's publications on PubMed.  Affiliations  Research Consortia Gulf Coast Cluster for Single Cell Omics  Appointments Title Department / School Institution Professor, Frederic B. Asche Chair Ophthalmology & Visual Science UT Health Science Center at Houston

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