Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1988
Neuronal Mechanisms of Memory and Aging

Email: tres@utdallas.edu
Phone: 972-883-4933
Office: GR 4.814

Aging & Memory Research Laboratory

Professional Narrative

As a cellular- and systems-level neuroscientist, I study the cellular events in neurons that underlie learning and memory, specifically regulation of post-synaptic excitability that supports learning and memory consolidation. I also integrate these studies with the problem of brain aging. We know aging does not globally impair memory or brain function, but selectively affects specific memory systems. The processes underlying memory are not the same at every age; instead, we adapt by shifting not only our cognitive but also our biological strategies for storing and accessing information as we age. By studying the brain mechanisms that support memory at varying ages, I address issues with significant value to our graying society. In fact, without a full undestanding of the basic mechanisms, attempts to treat severe brain and memory disorders often fail or undershoot expectations, due to reliance on inaccurate and untested theories. With extensive training in behavioral, neurophysiological, and pharmacological methods, I endeavor to put my work into the broadest context to extend its utility beyond the laboratory.

Research Interests

My Aging and Memory Research Labs explore 3 basic and strongly related neurobiological themes: 1. What are the cellular mechanisms used to form new memories? 2. How does the aging process alter these cellular mechanisms? 3. If we can reverse age-associated cellular changes, can we restore memory in aging individuals? To address these questions, we combine biobehavioral, pharmacological, and neurophysiological techniques to try to move from the domain of model systems to real-world applications.

Recent Publications

Greer, T.L., Trivedi, M.H., and Thompson, L.T. (2005). Impaired delay and trace eyeblink conditioning performance in major depressive disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 86: 235-245.

Moller, A.R. and Thompson, L.T. (2003). Central neuronal plasticity in tinnitus: Functional assessments in the inferior colliculus and the hippocampus. Tinnitus Today, 28, 20.

Gant, J.C. and Thompson, L.T. (2003). Learning-specific reduction of CA1 neuron AHPs in rat spatial learning: Aging-specific effects. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts. New Orleans, LA : Nov. 11 29, 719.