David Schulz
We are recruiting postdoctoral scholars to the Schulz Lab!
If you are interested in joining a group of like-minded individuals working on circuit plasticity, we have openings for post-docs! We can...
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Schulz Lab at the University of Missouri-Columbia
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING NEURAL PLASTICITY USING NATURALISTIC MODEL SYSTEMS
About the Schulz Lab
Welcome to the lab of Dr. David Schulz in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri. Our lab focuses on how plasticity and stability are balanced in individual neurons and neural networks by studying natural network outputs as well as responses to injury and removal of network inputs.
Using electrophysiology,molecular biology, and computer modeling techniques, we study regulation of ion channel proteins and how this influences neuronal excitability. We use central pattern generator (CPG) and autonomic nervous system networks at the single neuron level to determine how these networks function and respond to injury. Using this approach, we can investigate not only the effects at the single cell level, but also the influence that changes in single neurons has on the network activity as a whole.
This work has implications not only for understanding how networks maintain functional output, but also what goes wrong when these networks fail, as is the case with some diseases and injuries that affect the circuitry of the brain and spinal cord.
Current Members
The people who make it all happen
Principal Investigator
David has been at the University of Missouri since 2005. He is currently the Director of the Division of Biological Sciences as well as the PI of the lab.
Maddie Bunger
Undergraduate Researcher
Maddie is assisting with measuring the impacts of a rodent model of MS on bladder function
Akira Clemons
Undergraduate Researcher
Akira is investigating changes in expression of key receptors on the surface of the bladder associated with changes in bladder function as a result of MS-like disease in mice.
Featured Publications
For a complete list of Schulz Lab publications, please follow this link to Google Scholar:
We found that physiological voltage (i.e. activity-dependence) of all known forms of synaptic and neuromodulatory feedback-maintains most channel mRNA relationships, while metabotropic influences may play a relatively smaller role.
The functional activity and information processing within autonomic ganglia is mostly unknown because of technical and physical constraints in recording electrophysiological signals from these neurons in vivo. Here, we use a micro-endoscopic approach to measure in vivo functional activity patterns from a population of autonomic neurons controlling bladder function for the first time. This approach can be adapted to record activity from autonomic neurons across different organs and systems in both healthy and disease models.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) has substantial impacts on autonomic function, yet little is known of the impacts of SCI on autonomic neurons that directly innervate effectors impacted by injury. Here we investigated changes at the cellular level associated with SCI in neurons that are “downstream” of the central injury. An understanding of these off-target impacts of SCI ultimately will be critical in the context of effective restoration of function through neuromodulation of pharmacological therapeutic approaches.
Schulz Lab News
Get in Touch
Contact the Schulz Lab at the University of Missouri-Columbia to discuss their published work, teaching, collaboration opportunities or for any other inquiries.
117 Tucker Hall, 612 Hitt Street, Columbia, MO 65211
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