Senior Research Scientist

Research Interests

A fundamental question in neurobiology is understanding how experience alters the functional connectivity between neurons within the brain. Although there is now considerable evidence supporting the idea that some forms of information storage within the brain involve persistent, activity-dependent alterations in the efficacy of synaptic transmission, the detailed mechanisms which underlie these experience-dependent modifications in synaptic strength have yet to be fully identified. My research has concentrated on studying the mechanisms underlying activity-dependent regulation of synaptic efficacy in vivo, using both the hippocampus and visual cortex as model systems, with the long-term aim of understanding how sensory experiences leave a trace on the brain.

Education

Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Otago, 1995

B.A. in Psychology, University of Calgary, 1987