Turner Lab Webpage

Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Cell Biology & Anatomy
HRIC 1AA14 University of Calgary
Calgary Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
Phone: 403-220-8452 (Office) -8451 (Lab)
FAX: 403-210-7446
rwturner@ucalgary.ca

Lab Focus - The role of ion channels in regulating spike output patterns.

Approach: Electrophysiology in vitro, immunocytochemistry, modeling and molecular biology.
Collaborators: Drs. G.W. Zamponi (Calgary), P. Stys (Calgary)
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Projects

Burst discharge in cerebellar neurons. Purkinje cells in the mammalian cerebellar cortex respond to sensory and motor input and project to neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei, which generate the final output of cerebellum. Both cells generate burst discharge that involves intrinsic voltage-gated ion channels and synaptic inputs. We examine how these factors control the output of cerebellar neurons using a combination of molecular biology, immunocytochemistry, electrophysiology and optogenetics. Contact us to talk about projects available for students to undertake and build on by applying the principles of scientific investigation.

            Some of our recent studies reveal:
    - The first demonstration of IKCa potassium channels in a central neuron (link)
    - The distribution of T-type calcium channel isoforms in the CNS (link)
    - The roles for IH and IT in generating rebound bursts deep cerebellum (link)
    - How T-type calcium channels link to the Kv4 complex to modulate IA (link) (link)

Neuroscience Research in Calgary Why enter graduate studies in our lab? We use the latest of patch clamp recording techniques in in vitro slice preparations and heterologous expression systems to understand how ion channels control neuronal activity. We are active collaborators, with joint operating grants between 4 other labs in the country, increasing the opportunities for cross training in different aspects of neuroscience. As a result, students are productive, with past and present students publishing several manuscripts in MSc or PhD programs, making them highly competitive in winning external awards for additional salary support, and a strong basis to proceed to postgraduate research. Students are encouraged to collaborate and attend meetings and Special Courses, with an emphasis on developing their respective skills and to provide training in what it takes to make it in a research career. We are well funded and equipped, and recently moved to a new lab space! Brain Institute. Research is carried out in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, with over 150 principal researchers and over 100 trainees in close proximity in the Faculty of Medicine to promote collaborative opportunities. Calgary is a modern city with a population of 1 million and represents the center of the oil industry in Canada. The University of Calgary has over 25,000 students and many unique facilities built for the 1998 Calgary Winter Olympics. Training Program. Students enroll in MSc or PhD programs in the Department of Neuroscience, with minimal course work in order to increase time for research. The minimum requirement is a GPA of at least 3.2/4.0 in the last 20 courses of a degree program. Just contact Ray Turner directly. Prospective students are also encouraged to contact lab members for an independent assessment of the research and training environment. AD for Engineers
Funding Sources: