Student Profiles: Students | Alumni | All Arta Monjazeb, MD, PhD Brielle Paolini Chris Starr, PhD Chris Lack, MD, PhD Christopher T. Whitlow, MD, PhD Dino Massoglia, MD, PhD Eric Hudgins, PhD Greg Riedlinger, MD, PhD Isabel Newton, MD, PhD Jason Hipp, MD, PhD Jason Bonomo Jenn Martelle, MD, PhD Jennifer Hipp, PhD Kim Blish, PhD Kristin Dew Weimer Kyle Binder Lan Gardner Coffman, MD, PhD Matt Schindler, MD, PhD Mitchell Ladd Nanmeng Yu Oleg Lobanov Rebecca Myer, MD, PhD Sandy An Walter Wiggins

Dino Massoglia, MD, PhD

Doctoral thesis under Terrence Stanford, Ph.D. Wake Forst University School of Medicine.

We rely heavily upon binocular vision to successfully navigate through our environment. Subsequently, control of our eye movements is vital to our survival and utilizes many different brain structures. One such structure that is anatomically well connected and positioned to influence visuomotor processing but poorly understood physiologically, is the oculomotor thalamus. Using an awake behaving primate that is trained to make goal directed eye movements, I have set out to discern the function of oculomotor thalamus in visuomotor processing by using single-unit electrophysiology, reversible inactivation and antidromic stimulation techniques. By using an awake- behaving primate preparation, it is possible to correlate single-unit activity with the relatively normal behavior of the animal. The initial beginnings of recording in any poorly understood area involves quantitative assessment of the normal response properties during a multitude of saccade tasks. Using a standard battery of saccade tasks, we have tested and categorized neurons thus far and have began to determine their function. Current research includes determining the variables that contribute to decision-making. Recording from oculomotor thalamus as well as superior colliculus and frontal eye fields while the animal is performing multiple visual discrimination and thus decision-making tasks we are begining to understand the time-course of decision making from a behavioral and neurophysioloical standpoint. Hopefully we can begin to understand more about the role of oculomotor thalamus and ultimately more about disorders in motor and visuomotor processing by using these techniques.

Master's Tesis under Catherine Carr Ph.D. University of Maryland

Barn owls are nocturnal hunters that rely heavily on their auditory system for survival. Their auditory brainstem is highly evolved and specialized to localize sound by detecting interaural time and intensity differences. These circuits are comparable to other avian species, but show a marked specialization in cell number and morphology. Using immunohistochemistry, general histology, and electron microscopy, I have described the synapse formation, and cell death in the time coding nuclei of the barn owl brainstem (nucleus magnocellularis and nucleus laminaris). Using tritiated thymidine, photographic emulsion and dark-field microscopy, I have described their neuronal cell birth. In collaboration with other members of the lab, we have described the development and formation of a highly specialized neural circuit in comparison less-specialized species. From this, we can begin to understand the mechanisms of brain and specific circuit evolution as it relates to developmental patterns.

Massoglia, DP, CE Carr (1995) Cell death in nucleus laminaris and nucleus magnocellularis of the auditory brainstem in the Barn owl (Tyto alba). Society for Neuroscience Abstract 21

Massoglia, DP, CE Carr, (1996) Neuronal cell death in the avian time coding nuclei of auditory specialist and non-auditory specialist species. Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing Abstract 1

Massoglia, DP, MF Kubke, LL Rigby, CE Carr (1996) Synapses in the auditory brainstem of the barn owl form during the period of embryonic cell death. Society for Neuroscience Abstract 22

Massoglia, DP, MF Kubke, CE Carr (1996) Development of the time coding nuclei in the barn owl. Northeast developmental meeting, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA

Carr, CE, MF Kubke, DP Massoglia, S Amagai (1997) The evolution of temporal coding circuits. Society of Neuroscience in Africa (SONA) Abstract 3

Kubke, MF, D Soares, DP Massoglia, CE Carr (1998) Development of the nucleus angularis in the barn owl (Tyto alba). Association of Research Otolaryngology Abstract 12

Massoglia, DP, MT Wyder, TR Stanford (2001) Properties of visual and visuomotor activity in primate oculomotor thalamus. Society for Neuroscience Abstract 27

Wyder, MT, DP Massoglia, TR Stanford (2001) Saccade related activity in primate oculomotor thalamus. Society for Neuroscience Abstract 27

Massoglia, DP, MT Wyder, TR Stanford (2002) Activity of neurons in primate oculomotor thalamus associated with saccades to remembered visual goals. Society for Neuroscience Abstract 28

Wyder, MT, DP Massoglia, TR Stanford (2003) Activity of neurons in primate oculomotor thalamus using a two-target discrimination saccade task. Society for Neuroscience Abstract 29

Massoglia, DP, N Nourredine, D Schwartz, J Rose, J Garnett, R Applegate. (2006) Takotsubo (Stress-Induced) Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report. American College of Physicians, North Carolina Chapter

Costello, MG, DP Massoglia, TR Stanford. (2006) Temporal correlates of saccadic choice accuracy in macaque frontal cortex. Society for Neuroscience Abstract 32

Chapters:

Carr, CE, S Amagai, MF Kubke, DP Massoglia. (1996) Evolution of time coding systems. In the proceeding of the Goettingen Neurobiology Conference. Eds. N. Elsner and U. Schnitzler.

Journal Articles:

Carr, CE, MF Kubke, DP Massoglia, S-M Cheng, L Rigby, A Moiseff (1998) Development of temporal coding circuits in the barn owl. In: Psychophysical and Physiological Advances in Hearing. SR Palmer, A Rees, AQ Summerfield and R Meddis Eds., 344-351. London: Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Kubke, MF, DP Massoglia, CE Carr (2002) Developmental changes underlying the formation of the specialized time coding circuits in barn owls (Tyto alba). Journal of Neuroscience 22(17): 7671-7679.

Massoglia, DP*, MT Wyder*, TR Stanford (2003) Quantitative assessment of the timing and tuning of the visual-related, saccade-related, and delay period activity in the primate central thalamus. Journal of Neurophysiology 90:2029-2052. *equal-author

Kubke, MF, DP Massoglia, CE Carr (2004) Bigger brains or bigger nuclei? Regulating the size of auditory structures in birds. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 63:169-180.

Wyder, MT, DP Massoglia, TR Stanford (2004) Contextual modulation of central thalamic delay-period activity: representation of visual and saccadic goals. Journal of Neurophysiology 91:2628-2648

Massoglia, DP, MT Wyder, TR Stanford (2006) Quantitative assessment of the timing and spatial tuning of memory period activity and memory guided saccade activity in the primate central thalamus. Journal of Neurophysiology. In preparation (September, 2006)

Massoglia, DP, TR Stanford (2006) Accumulating sensory evidence model of decision making using a timed response, multiple target saccade task in primates. In preparation (October, 2006)

1995-1997 Graduate Research Fellowship University of Maryland Department of Zoology

1997-2005 MD-PhD Academic Scholarship Wake Forest University School of Medicine

2003 Association of University Professors in Neurology/ National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke.

2003-2005 Neuromorphic Engineering Education Research Award

2005 Robert L. Pritchard History of Medicine Award. "Modern Phrenology: what lessons can Modern Neuroscience learn from Phrenology?"

Society For Neuroscience

American Medical Association

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