ISN Newsletter - July 1999

Newsletter - July 1999

Section 2

Obituaries
Courses, Meetings, Workshops
Faculty Positions
Graduate and Postgraduate Positions

Obituaries

LADISLAV TAUC

Ladislav Tauc, a gifted experimentalist, pioneered the cellular physiological study of Aplysia neurons. In a beautiful paper in 1962, he provided the first definitive evidence that the action potential of a neuron is initiated at the initial segment. In a series of important papers with Gerschenfeld in 1962 63, Tauc found that acetylcholine can mediate excitation to some cells and inhibition to others by activating different receptors in the postsynaptic target cell. In 1964, with Karl Frank, Tauc applied voltage clamp analysis to the cell body and demonstrated the patch to patch heterogeneity of the sodium current of the cell body membrane. With Eric Kandel, Tauc described heterosynaptic facilitation in 1964, and with Stinnakre, he described, in the 1970s, the dynamics of calcium influx into the cell body with activation. In the later decades of his career, Tauc concerned himself with elementary aspects of transmitter release and with the possibility of nonquantal release. He was actively engaged in research at the time of his untimely death on June 2, 1999.

Irrespective of the problem he tackled or the collaborator he worked with, any paper by Tauc was distinguished by experimental elegance that was uniquely his own. In the course of his career, first at the Institut Marey and later at Gif sur Yvette, Tauc trained many people who went on to study Aplysia on their own. These students include Ascher, Bruner, Gerschenfeld, Hughes, Kandel, Kao, Kehoe, and Stinnakre.

He will be missed not only in France but throughout the world.

Eric Kandel

DIETRICH LOTHAR MEYER

Dietrich Lothar Meyer, neuroethologist, neurophysiologist, neuroanatomist, died on June 8, 1999. There must be more stories about Dietrich than any other person in comparative neurobiology. It was impossible to resist his vibrant energy and mesmerizing personality. Who was this man?

Drawn into neuroscience after medical school and a thesis on the gait of schizophrenics, he studied vestibular mechanisms of compensation with Klaus Peter Schaefer in Goettingen, Germany, and Ted Bullock in La Jolla, California. His curiosity led him to compare species and exploit biodiversity. Ear nystagmus in deer? Tonus function in sense organs? The more exotic, dangerous, and difficult the specimen was to obtain, the better. For Dietrich, science was the thrill of traveling, hunting, having fun. A grant application without a trip to Africa, the Amazon, Australia or Alaska? Too boring!

Dietrich had a keen instinct for the species with an unusual behavior. Geckos in a Brazilian bar show a 180o vestibulo-ocular reflex when tied to a beer coaster and tilted 360 degrees consternating other patrons. Flatfish could be manipulated to remain upright, fish with a ventral substrate response, upside down catfish, one eyed or four eyed fish -- whatever could tell us about underlying principles. Dietrich moved from the vestibular to the visual system, determining sources of CNS input to the eye, and explored long forgotten chemosensory systems (what do you know about the nervus terminalis?), always combining evolutionary, behavioral, physiological and anatomical perspectives.

Appointed full professor and head of the department of neuroanatomy in Goettingen at the age of 37, his many students included Werner Graf, Eberhard Fiebig, Christopher von Bartheld, Mario Wullimann, Michael Hofmann, Cordula Malz, Andreas Schober, Carmen Pinuela, and Arun Jadhao. Dietrich collaborated with bigwigs in comparative neurobiology, Ted Bullock, Walter Heiligenberg, Henning Scheich, Sven Ebbesson, Glenn Northcutt, Jack Pettigrew. Detailed scholarly work and formal presentations were not his style. He preferred eye to eye discussions in the bar next door and brief publications then off to the next expedition. There was no lack of ideas, only time ran out on this man whose life was burning like a candle lit at both ends. Dietrich was 51 years old.

Chris von Bartheld

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Courses, Meetings, Workshops

SECOND WORKSHOP ON THE BIOLOGY OF ULTRAVIOLET AND POLARIZATION VISION, June 20 24, 2000, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada The First Symposium on the Biology of Ultraviolet Light Reception was convened 27 30 December 1992 in Vancouver, British Columbia. That symposium attracted a large participation a high proportion of all researchers working in the area at the time presented their work. In the seven years since this first workshop, many exciting discoveries on morphological, neurobiological, behavioral and ecological evolutionary aspects of ultraviolet (UV) and polarized (POL) light reception have been reported. The community of researchers involved in such studies has also grown substantially. It is time for a second workshop. The workshop will take an integrative approach to the biology of ultraviolet and polarization vision by covering, for all organismal groups: UV and POL light fields in terrestrial and aquatic environments; the manner in which UV and POL stimuli are received and processed; the morphology and topography of UV and POL sensitive photoreceptors (retinal and extraretinal); the psychophysics of UV photopigments; the ontogeny of UV photosensitivity; the relationship between UV and POL light sensitivity; behavioral responses of organisms to UV and POL light signals; the ecological significance of UV and POL light reception; the evolution of UV and POL light reception. Other material related to the global theme of the workshop will also be considered. For further information please go to the Workshop WEB SITE at URL: http://www5.imr.no:591/bupv/ or contact Howard Browman (howard.browman@imr.no) or Craig Hawryshyn (chawrysh@uvic.ca).

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Faculty Positions

The Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (NBB) at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York seeks applications from tenured Associate Professors or Professors for a teaching replacement position for one semester in the Fall 1999 or Spring 2000 to present a "Neuroethology" course appropriate for juniors, seniors and beginning graduate students. We also look forward to having this individual interact with the NBB community in additional ways, such as participation in our neuroethology journal club. NBB is a stimulating environment for neuroethology, especially in the areas of sensory neurobiology, acoustic communication (strong linkages to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology) and evolutionary biology. We encourage applicants who are interested in the interface among these areas. Salary is negotiable. We are interested in filling the position as soon as possible. Interested applicants should contact Andrew Bass, Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior by e-mail (ahb3@cornell.edu) or phone (607-254-4340); after July 1 contact Charles Walcott (cw38@cornell.edu).

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Graduate and Postgraduate Positions

The Department of Zoology, Munich University, Germany, invites applications for the postdoctoral position of a neurobiologist to work on the spatial memory of nectar-feeding bats. The position is available for 5 years (net salary after taxes $27 to $37,000 US). The successful applicant is expected to develop her/his own neurobiological research program on spatial memory in nectar-feeding bats and secure additional outside funding. Any methodological approach will be considered. Please post or E-mail curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, up to five reprints and the E-mail addresses of three references until August 15, 1999 to: Dr. York Winter, Institute of Zoology II, Erlangen University, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany. Tel. (+49)-9131-8528058 Fax -8528060 E-mail: ywinter@biologie.uni-erlangen.de. For more detailed information, please, consult the website: http://www.zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de/institute/zi/abtlgn /neurobiologie/index.html

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroethology. Frederic Theunissen. UC, Berkeley. Start date: Jan. 1 2000. The position is aimed at studying high-level auditory processing in songbirds using chronic physiological techniques and advanced analytical techniques. Background in neurophysiology, signal analysis, and matlab/C programming, and interest in audition and computational neuroscience are required. Interested candidates should send or e mail their CV with references to: Frederic Theunissen, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Psychology, 3210 Tolman, Berkeley CA 94720 1650,E mail: fet@socrates.berkeley.edu

Postdoctoral Position, Univ. of Cambridge, UK. A postdoctoral position is available with Professor Malcolm Burrows to study the neuronal control of locomotion. The post is funded for a three-year period and offers the opportunity to join an active international group analyzing neuronal networks from a range of different perspectives. For more information contact Malcolm Burrows Telephone: 44 1223 336628; E-mail: mb135@cus.cam.ac.uk; Web: www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/Burrows/Index.html

Postdoctoral Research, Neurobiology of Central Gustatory Systems. NRSA funded postdoctoral training position is available for studies of transmission and modulation of gustatory information in the CNS of goldfish which relies on the gustatory system to perform sophisticated food sorting behaviors (see Finger, 1997, Acta Physiol. Scand. 161 Suppl. 638: 59 66). The primary gustatory nucleus in this species forms a large, laminated lobe conducive to in vivo and in vitro preparations suitable for pharmacological, anatomical and physiological study. Resources are available for anatomical, physiological and pharmacological studies of this system; the exact project will be arranged according to the applicant's interests. Techniques typically employed include electrophysiology, radioligand binding, in vitro pharmacology, immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, or anatomical connection tracing methods. AA/EOE. To apply, please send a CV and the names of three references to: Tom Finger, Dept. Cell. & Struct. Biology, University of Colorado Health Sci. Ctr., Denver, CO 80262.

The Arizona Research Laboratories Division of Neurobiology, a unit devoted to cellular, developmental, and molecular neurobiology and neuroethology of insects, invites inquires from prospective postdoctoral fellows. Successful applicants will be expected to conduct innovative research under the direction of a faculty member, to prepare timely reports on the results of this research in the form of peer reviewed papers and scientific presentations, and to participate actively in seminars and journal clubs. Minimum qualifications: Ph.D. in neurobiology or related field; graduate or postdoctoral background in research related to neurobiology. Applicants should send resume, statement of interests and plans, and names and addresses of three references to: Dr. John G. Hildebrand, Director, The University of Arizona, ARL Division of Neurobiology, PO Box 210077, Tucson, AZ 85721 0077. Review of applications began on April 19, 1999, and will continue until the positions are filled.

A postdoctoral position is available beginning July, 2000 in the Kelley laboratory at Columbia University. We focus on understanding how songs are produced and perceived in Xenopus using a roster of methods from field studies to cloning. Our most recent effort is the development of a short generation time, diploid species, Xenopus tropicalis, for behavioral neurogenetics using mutational and transgenic analyses. Applicants should send an E-mail including a CV and three letters of reference to Darcy Kelley at dbk3@columbia.edu.

The Graduate Program in Neural and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, provides an interdisciplinary training environment for students planning research careers in the Neurosciences. The faculty and students share a common interest in biology as it relates to organization and functioning of the nervous system. We have an excellent, well-funded graduate faculty with particular strengths in signal transduction, neural development, cognitive neuroscience and behavior, plasticity and sensory coding. The academic program is comprised of a required core: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience; as well as advanced courses, laboratory rotations, research seminars, journal clubs and individually tailored reading courses. This course work, most of which is completed in the first two years, provides a strong foundation in the basic neurosciences. The low student to faculty ratio permits an unusual amount of individual attention to characterize the training program. Visit our web site at: www.hscbklyn.edu/gradstudies/mission%20neural.html, For information about the program contact: mhalpern@netmail.hscbklyn.edu. For admissions: dtakil@netmail.hscbklyn.edu