Biosketch                 Top

As an undergraduate, Dr. Gibson studied biophysics at the University of California at Berkeley. He became interested in neurobiology while working as a technician in a psychophysics lab ran by Dr. Gerald Westheimer. Under the guidance of Dr. John Maunsell, he completed his Ph.D. in 1995 at the University of Rochester, which focused on neocortical activity related to visual processing. Next, he worked under Dr. Barry Connors studying the electrophysiological properties of inhibitory interneurons in somatosensory cortex. Dr. Gibson joined the Center for Basic Neuroscience at UT Southwestern in 2001.

Research             Top

He is interested in the neuronal circuitry of sensory neocortex. The overall goal is to understand how neuronal activity modifies and maintains neuronal circuitry, and how this process is abnormal in some pathological conditions, such as epilepsy. Currently, the focus is on a particular class of neocortical neuron - the inhibitory interneuron. There are different subtypes of inhibitory neurons, and one aim is to try to understand how each is modified by neuronal activity by studying their anatomical and electrophysiological properties. Rats and mice are used to answer these questions because of the many experimental techniques available and because of their similarity to the human brain.

Recent Publications             Top

Primary Research Articles

Gibson, J. R. and Maunsell, J. H. R. 1997. Sensory modality specificity of neural activity related to memory in visual cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 78(3): 1263-1275.
 
Varela, J. A., Sen, K., Gibson, J., Fost, J., Abbot, L. F., Nelson, S. B. 1997. A quantitative description of short-term plasticity at excitatory synapses in layer 2/3 of rat primary visual cortex. J. Neuroscience. 17(20): 7926-7940.
 
Gibson, J. R., Beierlein, M., Connors, B. W. 1999. Two electrically coupled inhibitory networks. Nature 402(4): 75-79.
 
Beierlein, M.*, Gibson, J. R.*, and Connors, B. W. 2000. An electrically coupled network of interneurons drives synchronized inhibition in neocortex. Nature Neuroscience, .3(9): 904-910.  * denotes co-author
 
Deans, M.*, Gibson, J. R.*, Connors, B. W., and Paul, D. L. 2001. Synchronous activity of inhibitory networks in neocortex requires electrical synapses containing connexin36. Neuron, 31: 477-485. * denotes co-author

Amitai Y., Gibson, J. R., Beierlein, M., Patrick, S.I., Ho, A.M., Connors, B. W., and Golomb, D.  2002. The spatial dimensions of electrically coupled networks of interneurons in neocortex.  J. Neurosci., 22: 4142-4152.

Beierlein, M.*, Gibson, J. R.*, and Connors, B. W. 2003. Two dynamically distinct inhibitory networks in layer 4 of neocortex. J. Neurophysiol., 90(5): 2987-3000.  * denotes co-author

INVITED REVIEWS

Connors, B. W., Gil Z., Landisman, C. E., Gibson, J. R., Amitai Y.  The pathway-specific regulation of synapses in the thalamocortical system.  In: Advances in Synaptic Plasticity, M. Baudry, J. L. Davis, and R. F. Thompson, Ed., MIT Press: Cambridge, MA.  2000.  pp 197-219.

Current Lab Staff                   Top

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