Dr. Tony A. Pham

Dr. Pham's research interests are in the area of developmental and molecular neurobiology. His laboratory examines the molecular mechanisms that underlie the precise development of neural circuitry in the mammalian forebrain, focusing on the neocortex and thalamus. The two major areas of investigation are outlined below:

A. Experience-dependent plasticity of neocortical circuitry during the developmental critical period.
Early in life, the mammalian brain has tremendous capacity to adapt to the individual's environment. This is accomplished through the plasticity of neural connections of the brain during the postnatal developmental phase. Dr. Pham is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie developmental neural plasticity and the critical period, using the central visual system as a model system. Current research examines the function of the intracellular messengers calcium and cyclic AMP in neocortical plasticity.

B. Refinement of neural connections in thalamic and thalamocortical circuitry.
During development, the initial connections of neurons are imprecise, with many inappropriate projections/connections that eventually are eliminated. Because cognitive and sensory processing are dependent on the precision of neural circuitry, neural refinement is a critical step in the maturation of the forebrain. Current research examines the role of calcium and cyclic AMP-mediated gene expression, which is induced within a defined developmental window, on the patterning and refinement of retinothalamic and thalamocortical connections. Key questions that will be addressed include:

(1) What are the signaling systems that contribute to Ca2+/cAMP-mediated gene expression during early postnatal thalamic development?

(2) What are the mechanisms responsible for initiating and terminating Ca2+/cAMP-mediated gene expression in the thalamus during development?

(3) What are the consequences of disrupting components of Ca2+/cAMP signaling, using transgenic mouse models, on the patterning of thalamocortical connections and on the morphology of dendrites and axons of thalamic neurons?