[the following is also submitted as an attachment in Word 98]
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POSITION AVAILABLE for Ph.D. STUDENTS
Outstanding students with B.Sc. or M.Sc. are invited to apply for the
Ph.D. program in VISUAL NEUROSCIENCE at the University of Calgary.
Students will be sponsored by Dr. William Stell and stipends guaranteed
at the minimum of $16,824 (Cdn) per year for two years, paid from grant
funds. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate
Program in Neuroscience (http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~neuro/gradst.html),
should have some background in cellular and molecular aspects of
neuroscience and vision, and must be competitive for external
scholarships and committed to completing requirements for a Ph.D.
Research training will be supported by activities in either of two
areas:
(1) VISUAL CONTROL OF EYE GROWTH AND THE PREVENTION OF MYOPIA. Ocular
growth and refraction are driven postnatally by global stimulation of
ocular enlargement, which is fine-tuned by visual feedback mechanisms in
the retina to produce emmetropia (matching of eye length to focal
power). Our studies indicate that separate, parallel retinal circuits
function to maintain emmetropia in normal eyes, and restore it in myopic
eyes (see Fischer AJ, McGuire J, Schaeffel F and Stell WK (1999)
Light- and focus-dependent expression of the transcription factor ZENK
in the chick retina. Nature Neuroscience, 2:706-712). The aims of
ongoing studies, utilizing techniques of pharmacology, cellular and
molecular biology, are to determine the cellular pathways and synaptic
mechanisms that underlie ocular growth-control in the chick, identify
parallel mechanisms in mammalian models, and develop pharmacological
methods for preventing the development of human myopia.
This research is supported by grants from the National Eye Institute (to
October, 2003) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (to
March, 2004).
(2) VISUAL TUNING AND INPUT CIRCUITRY OF AMACRINE CELLS.
Amacrine cells are the most varied and numerous of all retinal neurons
and are largely responsible for the fine control of retinal output.
Little is known, however, about their responsiveness to different kinds
of visual stimuli. We have shown that the visual tuning of dopaminergic
amacrine cells in the chick can be studied by using inducible
immunocytochemical activity-markers as well as chemical assays for
transmitter synthesis and release (Rohrer B, Iuvone PM and Stell WK
(1995) Stimulation of dopaminergic cells by stroboscopic illumination
or fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2): Possible roles in the
prevention of form-deprivation myopia in the chick. Brain Research,
686: 169-181). Continuing studies will seek to validate the
inducible-marker strategy further, using the dopaminergic interneurons
of chick and goldfish retinas, and then apply it to characterizing
other kinds of amacrine cells in these model systems.
This research is supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada (to April, 2005).
The host lab is located in the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine
and is affiliated with the Lions' Sight Centre as well as the
Neuroscience Research Group (http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~neuro/).
Calgary is a thriving, modern, clean and safe city of almost 900,000, in
full view of the Canadian Rockies. It offers a relatively mild northern
climate, and a wide variety of cultural as well as outdoor activities.
Although some preference will be given to applicants who are Canadian
citizens or permanent residents, all highly qualified candidates will be
considered.
Applicants please send a summary of academic background (courses,
grades, and degrees awarded) and career goals, plus names and contact
information for three professional references, no later than May 15,
2001, to:
Dr. William K. Stell, Ph.D., M.D.
Professor, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine
3330 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
(email) wstell@ucalgary.ca
(fax) 1-403-283-2700
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