Areas of Specialty
Neurophysiology
Electrophysiology
Imaging
Stroke
TBI
Education
Phd (1991):
University of Melbourne
Australia, Victoria, Melbourne
BS (Hons), (1987):
Filders University
Australia, South Australia, Adelaide
BS (1986):
Adelade University
Australia, South Australia, Adelaide
Achievements & Awards
Faculty Teaching Excellence Award - 2002, 2010, 2014, 2019
Erwin W. Lewis Teaching Award, UNM SOM - 2016, 2017, 2018
Team Science Award, UNM Health Sciences Center - 2016
Khatali Teaching Award, UNM SOM - 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010
William G. Dail Endowed Professorship for Excellence in Teaching - 2011-2014
A. Earl Walker Award for Neuroscience Research at UNM - 2010
Dean’s Award of Distinction, UNM SOM - 2003
Smith Klein & French Neuroscience Prize, Flinders University of South Australia - 1988
Gender
Male
Languages
- English
Courses Taught
Undergraduate Medical Education:
Neurosciences Block
GI and Nutrition Block
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program:
Neurophysiology (Biomed 531)
Functional Neuroanatomy (Biomed 533)
Research and Scholarship
Our laboratory is currently focused almost entirely on spreading depolarization (SD) events, which are profound depolarizations of neurons and glia that propagate slowly throughout the brain. A colloquial term for these events is "Brain Tsunamis" (click here to see a short introductory video about brain tsunamis). There has been a resurgence in interest in SD, as recent clinical recordings have implicated SDs as key contributors to progression of acute brain injuries (including stroke and traumatic brain injury). The long-term goal of our lab is to help develop SD interventions that can be applied at late time points, and which ultimately will be translatable to the clinic. We use brain slices and animal models to identify 1) fundamental mechanisms that underlie damaging effects of SD, 2) approaches to support compromised tissues to recover from repeated SD episodes and 3) potential beneficial effects of SD that might be important for functional recovery of injured brain. Our lab collaborates closely with clinical colleagues in the departments of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and Neurology to explore roles of SD in a range of disorders, and potential treatments targeting SD.