Vollum Institute

Vollum Seminar Series continues Thursday (10/23) with Dr Ivan Soltesz presenting "Organization and control of
hippocampal circuits" at noon in M1441 of the Vollum. Dr James Frank is the host for this event. Login & stream from link on site: bit.ly/4dXx9pc
#OHSUResearch #OHSU #neuroscience

Vollum Seminar Series continues Thursday (10/16) with Dr Cody Call presenting "Unraveling how #oligodendrocytes
generate and pattern #myelin" at noon in M1441 of the Vollum. Login & stream from link on site: bit.ly/4dXx9pc #OHSUResearch #OHSU #neuroscience

Vollum Seminar Series continues Thursday (10/9) with Dr Arpy Saunders presenting "Cellular Reflections: Viral Mechanisms and Neural Circuit Architecture" at noon in M1441 of the Vollum. Login & stream from link on site: bit.ly/4dXx9pc #OHSUResearch #OHSU #neuroscience
cc: @your-arpy.bsky.social

Vollum Seminar Series continues Thursday (10/2) with Dr Henrique von Gersdorff presenting "Dopamine adapts the
microcircuits of the retina from
night to daytime vision" at noon in M1441 of the Vollum. Login & stream from link on site: bit.ly/4dXx9pc #OHSUResearch #OHSU #neuroscience

Congratulations to Dr Marissa Co, one of 9 recipients in the 2025 Fellows-to-Faculty class, supported by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI).
Read more: bit.ly/4i3RhsF
cc: @marissaco.bsky.social , @kevinmawright.bsky.social , @simonsfoundation.org

Head shot of Hoa Trinh on the left and head shot of Jed Syrenne on the right

Two predoctoral students in the Vollum Institute/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program were recently awarded the 2025 Lacroute Fellowship. This fellowship is made possible through the philanthropic support of a generous donor. Congratulations to Hoa Trinh & Jed Syrene!
Full article: bit.ly/4b9gOw9

Altered Primary Somatosensory Neuron Development in a Pten Heterozygous Model for Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions, repetitive behaviors, and hyper- or hyposensitivity to sensory stimuli. The c....

Newest paper from the lab, looking at how somatosensory neuron development and function is altered in a Pten haploinsufficient model of ASD. Work was all done by @alefdzphd.bsky.social, who just started an independent position at UTRGV.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

On Friday, September 19th, Sarahi Garza will present her Dissertation Defense: "Optical Control of Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling: A Membrane-Tethered
Photopharmacological Approach" at 1pm in Vollum's M1441. Sarahi is mentored by James Frank, Ph.D. #OHSUResearch
cc: @garzas.bsky.social

Human brain cell types shape host-rabies virus transcriptional interactions revealing a preexisting pro-viral astrocyte subpopulation How virus-host cell interactions and innate immune antagonism shape neurotropic infection dynamics across diverse brain cell types is largely unknown.…

A Cell Reports article from the Saunders Lab (Vollum Institute/OHSU) describes the unique role of #astrocyte innate immune signaling in combating viral #infection.
Read the article in Cell Reports: bit.ly/4gf707M
cc: @your-arpy.bsky.social , @cp-cellreports.bsky.social

@volluminstitute.bsky.social neuroscientist Dr. Eric Gouaux has earned a rare distinction as a two-time recipient of the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke! Read the full article: bit.ly/4b9gOw9

Congratulations to Tony Muñoz who has been awarded a
2025 HHMI Gilliam Fellow! Tony is a graduate student and Ph.D. candidate in the Vollum Institute/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program and is mentored by Dr Swetha Murthy.
@hhmi.org #OHSUResearch

Researchers discover link between key protein and brain synapse development – Lifeboat News: The Blog Scientists have uncovered how a protein helps build and maintain vital brain connections, providing insights into the neurological problems experienced by people with a rare form of muscular dystrophy...

OHSU scientists have uncovered how a protein helps build and maintain vital #brain connections, providing insights into the neurological problems experienced by people with a rare form of muscular dystrophy known as #dystroglycanopathy. lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07...

Vollum Institute researchers have identified a gene that plays a crucial role in the brain’s ability to form #myelin. This new research can potentially create treatments for a rare childhood disorder and common diseases such as #MultipleSclerosis. bit.ly/3IZk30x #OHSUResearch

OHSU student takes top prize in Invent Oregon competition This year’s $10,000 grand prize went to EEGonaut, led by Chloé Le Moing, a Ph.D. student in behavioral and systems neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine.

Congratulations to Chloé Le Moing, who with other Jackman Lab team members Aaliya Mehnaz Ahmed and Joe Gordon, earned both the grand prize, as well as the People’s Choice Award, at Invent Oregon's Collegiate Challenge in June. #OHSUResearch
bit.ly/454LVsO

Vollum scientists discover how a protein helps build & maintain vital brain connections, providing insights into the neurological problems experienced by people w/a rare form of muscular dystrophy known as #dystroglycanopathy.
Read: bit.ly/4b9gOw9 @thejenjay.bsky.social @kevinmawright.bsky.social

A high-performance genetically encoded sensor for cellular imaging of PKC activity in vivo - Nature Communications Neuromodulators that activate Gq-coupled receptors exert powerful control over brain function. Here, the authors develop a fluorescence lifetime sensor capable of imaging protein kinase C activity—a m...

The Vollum Institute's Zhong Lab's CKAR3 sensor for in vivo PKC activity imaging is now out at @natcomms.nature.com. Congrats to the team, especially co-first authors Takaki Yahiro and @baylesslandon.bsky.social. Read the article: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

cc: @globus1.bsky.social

Our review on kidney sensory innervation is out! It was such an honor to write about all the amazing work from my colleagues in this growing field of renal interoception. Yay kidneys! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Cheers to Sci Pol PDX with @researchamerica.bsky.social for hosting Congresswoman Bonamici & Rep Dr Pham to give the OHSU community an opportunity to ask Oregon’s elected officials questions & make their voices heard.
Read more: bit.ly/4b9gOw9
cc: @repbonamici.bsky.social @rephaipham.bsky.social

OHSU scientists using #CryoElectron microscopy have discovered the structure and shape of key receptors connecting #neurons in the brain’s cerebellum, which plays a critical role in coordinating movement, balance and cognition. news.ohsu.edu/2025/06/23/o... #OHSUResearch

Left to right: Laurence Trussell Ph.D., Natalie Sheldon, Chengli Fang Ph.D., Jumi Park Ph.D. and Eric Gouaux Ph.D.; Cathy Spangler Ph.D. is not pictured.

For the first time, scientists using #cryoelectron microscopy have discovered the structure and shape of key receptors connecting #neurons in the brain’s cerebellum, which plays a critical role in functions such as coordinating movement, balance and cognition. #OHSUResearch bit.ly/4b9gOw9

“We hope this begins to fundamentally change how the field thinks about #astrocytes and their role in mediating #neurophysiology and #behavior,” said senior author Marc Freeman, Ph.D., director of the OHSU Vollum Institute.
cc: @kevinguttenplan.bsky.social

On Friday, June 20, Teva Bracha will present his Dissertation Defense: "Pten regulates the development of stereotyped dendritic architectures" at 1pm in Vollum's M1441. #OHSUResearch
cc: @kevinmawright.bsky.social

Join us Thursday, June 19, for Danica Bojovic's Dissertation Defense: "Astrocyte syncytium regulation of neuronal excitability and neurovascular coupling" at 1pm in Vollum's M1441. #OHSUResearch
cc: @mishracbflab.bsky.social

OHSU Commencement 2025 YouTube video by OHSU

Congratulations to nearly 1,200 graduates honored at OHSU's 2025 commencement ceremony! OHSU Executive Vice President, Chief Research Officer and Joint Appointment, Vollum Institute, Dr Peter Barr-Gillespie delivered the keynote speech which is viewable on OHSU's youtube channel: bit.ly/4kHARYa

2024–2025 Vollum Seminar Series concludes Thursday (6/12) with Dr Stephanie Gantz presenting "GⱭq‐dependent modulation of delta glutamate current" at noon in M1441 of the Vollum. Hosted by Dr John Williams. Login & stream from link on site: bit.ly/4dXx9pc #OHSUResearch #OHSU #neuroscience

Hi Dani, web and illustration person for the Vollum Institute here. Please consider adding us in. Thank you!

Federal cuts narrow career pipeline for budding science researchers in Oregon The National Institutes of Health has eliminated grants for training programs that help young scientists from underrepresented communities get ahead in their careers. Advocates of these programs say t...

“Our program is intended for people who want to do Ph.D. research in a biomedical area, but who didn’t really have much of a chance to do a lot of research during their undergraduate years,” said Gary Westbrook, Vollum Institute senior scientist who helped launch PREP at OHSU in 2018. bit.ly/4dWmZqh

Join us Tuesday, June 10, for Rachel De La Torre's Dissertation Defense: "Remodeling neurons engage compartment-specific death and pruning mechanisms" at 2:30pm in Vollum's M1441. #OHSUResearch

Distinct functional domains of Dystroglycan regulate inhibitory synapse formation and maintenance in cerebellar Purkinje cells Communications Biology - Genetic manipulation of functional domains on Dystroglycan reveals distinct developmental roles in inhibitory synapse formation and maintenance in cerebellar cortex.

www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Vollum Seminar Series continues Thursday (5/29) with Dr Yishi Jin, from UC San Diego, presenting "Mechanisms of neuronal
maintenance" at noon in M1441 of the Vollum. Hosted by Dr Marc Freeman. Login & stream from link on site: bit.ly/4dXx9pc #OHSUResearch #OHSU #neuroscience @ucsandiego.bsky.social