NIH Director´s Pioneer Award

Erich D Jarvis, Associate Professor
Neurobiologyduke University
2200 W. Main St.
durham, Nc 27705

Grant 5DP1OD000448-03 from Office Of The Director, National Institutes Of Health, IRG: ZGM1

Keywords: behavioral genetics, ethology, learning, neural information processing, vocalization Aves, NIH Roadmap Initiative tag, behavioral /social science research tag

Project start date: 2005-09-30

Project end date: 2010-07-31

5DP1OD000448-03 (2007): $761670

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NIH Director´s Pioneer Award

Erich D Jarvis, Associate Professor
Neurobiologyduke University

Grant 5DP1OD000448-04 from Office Of The Director, National Institutes Of Health, IRG: ZGM1

Keywords: behavioral genetics, ethology, learning, neural information processing, vocalization Aves, NIH Roadmap Initiative tag, behavioral /social science research tag

Project start date: 2005-09-30

Project end date: 2010-07-31

NIH Director s Pioneer Award

Erich D Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Duke University 2200 W. Main St. Durham, Nc 27705

Grant 5DP1OD000448-02 from Office Of The Director, National Institutes Of Health, IRG: ZGM1

Keywords: behavioral genetics, ethology, learning, neural information processing, vocalization, Aves, NIH Roadmap Initiative tag, behavioral /social science research tag

Project start date: 2005-09-30

Project end date: 2010-07-31

5DP1OD000448-02 (2006): $759432

Molecular Mechanisms Of Basal Ganglia Regeneration In Songbirds

Erich D Jarvis, Associate Professor
Neurobiologyduke University

Grant 5R03TW007615-03 from Fogarty International Center, IRG: ICP1

Abstract: While studying the role the basal ganglia pathway in learned vocal communication, we discovered an unexpected phenomenon following neurotoxic lesions, the avian striatum recovered itself. This phenomenon, as far as we know, is unprecedented in the mammalian brain. Here we propose to investigate the mechanisms of this recovery whether this is in fact new neuron regeneration or neuron invasion from the surrounding areas. Further we will determine the time course of this recovery accompanied with the behavioral (song) recovery. We will identify whether the cellular organization in the recovered striatum is the same as in intact striatum. Finally, we will test whether the recovery is specific to the neurotoxic lesion or if it is a more general aspect of the avian striatum. As the avian striatum contains neurons similar in their electrophysiological and molecular properties to their mammalian counterparts, the project is expected to impact our understanding of brain regeneration. The relevance of this research to public health is that we would find potential ways to repair damaged basal ganglia brain areas, and in particular for correcting speech deficits. This research will be done primarily in Slovakia at the Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics at the Slovak Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Lubica Kubikova, as an extension of NIH grant #R01 DC007218-01

Keywords: basal ganglia, neuron, regeneration, songbird behavior, biochemistry, brain, cell, cell cycle, communication, genetics, lead, learning, public health, regulatory gene, role, sound, speech

Project start date: 2006-07-15

Project end date: 2009-06-30

5R03TW007615-02 (2007): $38230

1R03TW007615-01 (2006): $37722

Sensory- And Motor-driven Genes In Vocal Communication

Erich D Jarvis, Associate Professor
Neurobiologyduke University
2200 W. Main St.
durham, Nc 27705

Grant 5R01DC007218-04 from National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders, IRG: BRLE

Abstract: The goal of this proposal is to identify sensory- and motor-driven genes activated by learned vocal communication in normal and deafened subjects. The animal model we will utilize is a songbird. Songbirds are one of the only accessible non-human animals where learned vocal communication, the substrate for human language, can be studied. Non-human primates, rodents, and other commonly studied animals do not have; this ability. In songbirds, hearing species-specific vocalizations (sensory activity) induces large increases of gene expression throughout the auditory pathway. This sensory-driven expression is experience-dependent, as induction requires that the birds be raised with adult conspecifics and induction is highest when the birds hear novel species-specific songs. The expression is blocked by deafening. The act of producing imitated vocalizations (motor activity) induces large increases of gene expression throughout the cerebral vocal pathway, and this motor-driven expression is not blocked by deafening. However, when birds are deafened, like humans, their learned vocalizations deteriorate. This deterioration, in songbirds, is an active process that requires the basal ganglia cortical-like vocal pathway, in which vocalizing-driven gene expression is found. To date, few genes have been identified with such sensory- and motor-driven regulation during behavior and have yet been identified that change with deafening-induced deterioration of learned vocalizations. It is believed that an entire gene regulatory network is activated in these behavioral processes. We will use behavioral, neuroanatomical, and high throughput molecular biological approaches to identify and characterize sensory and motor-driven genes activated by normal vocal communication and by deafened-induced deterioration of learned vocalizations. Since most songbird genes have significant homology to known mammalian genes our experiments will enable us to identify avian brain genes with humain/mammalian homologues amenable to experimental characterization in the songbird system

Keywords: behavioral genetics, deafness, gene expression, neural information processing, songbird, vocalization animal communication behavior, auditory pathway, basal ganglia, complementary DNA, learning, messenger RNA, neuroanatomy, neurobiology, neuropsychology behavioral /social science research tag, genetic library, in situ hybridization, juvenile animal, mature animal, microarray technology

Project start date: 2005-06-17

Project end date: 2010-05-31

5R01DC007218-03 (2007): $321244

5R01DC007218-02 (2006): $330838

1R01DC007218-01A1 (2005): $338800

Conference--Avian Brain Nomenclature

Erich D Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Neurobiologyduke University
2200 W. Main St.
durham, Nc 27705

Grant 1R13MH064400-01 from National Institute Of Mental Health, IRG: IFCN

Abstract: Many scientific projects funded by NIH investigate neural functions in the avian brain. However, there have been very few efforts by NIH projects to directly link discoveries in the avian brain with mammalian brain. This is due in part, because of a current dilemma on nomenclature of the avian brain. Nearly 100 years ago, scientists decided that the avian brain, above the level of the thalamus, is one large basal ganglia, a ventral portion of the mammalian telecephalon. In the 1960s, using several molecular markers, this conclusion was shown to be incorrect. However, since then there has been very little consensus on the correct correspondences between the avian and mammalian brains. As a result, the 100-year basal ganglia terminology is still in effect, creating confusion and inaccurate comparisons in basic and biomedical research. The objective of the Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum is to bring together experts in the field of avian neuroscience and comparative neuroanatomy for the purpose of making historical revisions of avian brain nomenclature. The Forum will take place July 18th, 19th, and 20th, of 2002, at the Duke University Medical Center, Searle Center. There will be a web site for forum participants to prepare themselves with hypotheses and knowledge, as well as post-forum publication of nomenclature changes in established scientific journals. The participants include professors, post-docs, and graduate students. The forum is expected to lead to significant changes in avian brain research and impact neurobiology research in general. Since it is the goal of NIH to improve public health, a mammalian group, it is imperative that the relationship between the avian and mammalian be updated and that serious comparative errors be removed

Keywords: Aves, brain, meeting /conference /symposium, nomenclature neuroanatomy, neurobiology travel

Project start date: 2001-09-01

Project end date: 2002-08-31

1R13MH064400-01 (2001): $13000

The Basal Ganglia System In Vocal Communication

Erich D Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Duke University 2200 W. Main St. Durham, Nc 27705

Grant 5R01MH062083-03 from National Institute Of Mental Health, IRG: IFCN

Abstract: In the past several years, songbirds have increasingly become a useful model system for studying the functional role of the basal ganglia pathway loop in complex behaviors such as learned vocal communication. In young birds, the vocal part of the basal ganglia pathway is required for song learning. In adults who have learned their songs, it is not necessary for production of learned vocalizations, but shows dramatic changes in gene activation depending upon the social context in which vocalizing occurs. This context-dependent vocal gene activation lead to a number of intriguing testable hypotheses of the basal ganglia s functional role in adult vocal communication. These ranged from 1) regulating gene expression and activity of the vocal motor pathway to 2) generating on-line complexity of the singer s vocalizations. The goals of the experiments in this proposal are to test these hypotheses and, in doing so, to determine the basic function of the vocal basal ganglia loop in learned vocal communication. Since the loop is built within a circuit that is conserved in the vertebrate brain, it is believed that the underlying mechanisms discovered will generally apply to complex social behaviors such as learned vocal communication in humans. However, since vocal learning is a very rare trait, as it is only found in 3 groups of mammals (humans, dolphins, and bats) and 3 groups of birds (songbirds, hummingbirds and parrots), with songbirds being the most studied animal model, the results of this proposal are expected to generate unique insight into higher order brain function, and insight into diseases that affect speech, language, and cognitive processes.

Keywords: animal communication behavior, basal ganglia, learning, neurogenetics, neuropsychology, vocalization, biological signal transduction, dopamine agonist, dopamine antagonist, dopamine receptor, gene expression, genetic regulation, syntax, behavioral /social science research tag, experimental brain lesion, immunocytochemistry, immunofluorescence technique, songbird

Project start date: 2002-01-22

Project end date: 2005-12-31

5R01MH062083-03 (2004): $308000

5R01MH062083-02 (2003): $308000

Auditory Protein Regulation In Normal And Abnormal States

Erich D Jarvis, Associate Professor
Duke University 2200 W. Main St. Durham, Nc 27705

Grant 5R21DC007478-02 from National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders, IRG: SMI

Abstract: About 1% of the US population are deaf, and about 29.1% over the age of 65 have hearing loss problems. These problems cause deterioration in learned speech. The goal of this proposal is to identify proteins involved in active deterioration of learned vocalizations, using songbirds as a model system. Songbirds are one of the only accessible non-human animals where learned vocal communication, the substrate for human language, can be studied. Other commonly studied animals do not have this ability. In songbirds, hearing oneself vocalize induces large increases of gene and protein expression in parts of the auditory pathway. The expression is blocked by deafening. The act of vocalizing also induces large increases of gene and protein expression in the vocal pathway. When birds are deafened, like humans, their learned vocalizations deteriorate. This deterioration in songbirds is an active process involving the basal ganglia cortical-like part of the vocal pathway, in which vocalizing-driven gene expression is found. That is, the prevention of deterioration in intact animals requires that they hear themselves vocalize by auditory feedback. To date, few proteins have been identified with such sensory- and motor-driven regulation and none have been identified that change with deafening-induced deterioration of learned vocalizations. It is believed that an entire gene regulatory network is activated in these behavioral processes. We will use behavioral, neuroanatomical, and high throughput proteomic approaches to identify and characterize proteins activated by normal hearing of oneself vocalize as a control group and by deafened-induced deterioration of learned vocalizations as an experimental group. Since most songbird proteins have significant homology to known mammalian proteins, our experiments will enable us to identify avian brain proteins with human homologues amenable to experimental characterization in the songbird system. Our long-term goal is to manipulate such proteins to prevent deafened-induced vocal deterioration.

Keywords: protein, Aves, Primate, aging, auditory feedback, auditory pathway, basal ganglia, behavior, brain, central nervous system, central neural pathway /tract, communication, conditioning, gel, gel electrophoresis, gene, gene expression, genetics, hearing, hearing disorder, human, language, learning, male, model, motivation, prevention, proteomics, regulatory gene, role, songbird, sound, spectrometry, speech, thinking, vocalization

Project start date: 2006-07-01

Project end date: 2008-06-30

5R21DC007478-02 (2007): $189345

1R21DC007478-01A2 (2006): $233250

NIH Director s Pioneer Award (RMI)

Erich D Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Duke University 2200 W. Main St. Durham, Nc 27705

Grant 1DP1OD000448-01 from Office Of The Director, National Institutes Of Health, IRG: ZGM1

Keywords: behavioral genetics, ethology, learning, neural information processing, vocalization, Aves, behavioral /social science research tag

Project start date: 2005-09-30

Project end date: 2010-07-31

1DP1OD000448-01 (2005): $775208

Songbird Neurogenomics

Erich D Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Mellon Pitts Corporation (mpc Corp) Pittsburgh, Pa 152133890

Grant 5P41RR006009-150415 from National Center For Research Resources, IRG: ZRG1

Keywords: biomedical resource, functional /structural genomics, neurogenetics, songbird

Project start date: 2004-08-01

Project end date: 2005-07-31

MARC PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

Erich D Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Rockefeller University New York, Ny 100656399

Grant 5F31GM012562-05 from National Institute Of General Medical Sciences, IRG: MRC

5F31GM012562-05 (1992): $22100