Research Fellow in Experimental Neurobiology
walcott@nsi.edu

Understanding how small groups of neurons communicate and interact to form larger networks is an important step in linking neuronal activity in the brain to behavior. It is well established that information is stored in the functional connectivity between neurons, but there is still much that is unknown about how this occurs. To address this, I have been studying neuronal physiology in vitro, examining changes in synaptic efficacy at multiple time scales, regulation of neuronal excitability, and regulation of these phenomena by neuromodulators. A current focus has been on the primary motor cortex, the brain area that most directly drives behavior. Using dynamic clamp to simulate realistic synaptic background activity combined with patch clamp recording, we are examining how critical neuromodulators such as acetylcholine exert effects on neuronal firing in layer 5, the output layer of neocortex. Other research interests include neocortical development, neuropeptides, and regulation of spontaneous network activity in long-term neuronal cultures.

Education:

• A.B., Psychology, Harvard University
• Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine
• Postdoctoral training, The Neurosciences Institute

Awards and Honors:

• University of California Regent's fellowship (1996)
• Edward A. Steinhaus Teaching Award (1993)
• National Institutes of Health NRSA Training Grant (1991-1994)

Selected Publications:

Desai NS, Walcott EC. (2006) Synaptic bombardment modulates muscarinic effects in forelimb motor cortex. J. Neurosci. 6(8):2215-26.

Tsatmali M, Walcott EC, Crossin KL. (2005) Newborn neurons acquire high levels of reactive oxygen species and increased mitochondrial proteins upon differentiation from progenitors. Brain Res.1040 (1-2):137-50.

Walcott EC, Langdon RB. (2002) Synaptically driven spikes and long-term potentiation in neocortical layer 2/3. Neuroscience 112(4):815-26.

Walcott EC, Langdon RB. (2001) Short-term plasticity of extrinsic excitatory inputs to neocortical layer 1. Exp. Brain Res. 136(2):143-51.

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