Scientists: Diane K. O'Dowd, Ph.D.

Research Focus

Working to understand: cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation.

Scientific Focus: regulation of excitability and synaptic transmission in the central nervous system of flies and mice.

Recent Publications

The Latest via PubMed

Gu*, H., S.A. Jiang*, J.M. Campusano*, J. Iniguez*, H. Su, A.A. Hoang, M. Lavian, X. Sun, and D.K. O’Dowd (2009) Cav2-type calcium channels encoded by cac regulate AP-independent neurotransmitter release at cholinergic synapses in adult Drosophila brain. J. Neurophysiol. 101: 42-53. * authors contributed equally.

Hilgenberg, L.G.W, B. Pham, M. Ortega, S. Walid, T. Kemmerly, D.K. O’Dowd, and M.A. Smith (2009) Regulation of a3 sodium potassium ATPase activity modulates cardiac myocyte contraction, J. Biol. Chem, in press.

O’Dowd, D.K. and N. Aguilar-Roca (2009) Garage Demos: Using physical models to illustrate dynamic aspects of microscopic processes. Cell Biology Education, in press.

Aguilar-Roca, N., A. Williams, R. Warrior, D.K. O’Dowd (2009) Two minute training in class significantly increases the use of professional formatting in student to faculty email correspondence. IJSoTL 3: 1-15. http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v3n1.html

Oh, H-W, J,M. Campusano, L.G.W. Hilgenberg, X. Sun, M.A. Smith, and D.K. O’Dowd (2008) Ultrastructural analysis of chemical synapses and gap junctions between Drosophila brain neurons in culture. Dev. Neurobiology 68: 281-294.

Vasu, S.*, H. Gu*, V.K. Sharma, D.K. O’Dowd, and T. Holmes (2008) Circadian- and light-dependent regulation of resting membrane potential and spontaneous action potential firing of Drosophila circadian pacemaker neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 99: 976-88. *authors contributed equally to the work.

Campusano, J.M., H. Su, S.A. Jiang, B. Sicaeros, D.K. O’Dowd (2007) nAChR-mediated calcium responses and plasticity in Drosophila Kenyon cells. Dev. Neurobiology 67: 1520-1532.

Gu, H., and O’Dowd, D.K. (2007) Whole cell recordings from brain of adult Drosophila. J. Vis. Exp. 6: 248. http://www.jove.com/index/Details.stp?ID=248

Gu, H. and D.K. O’Dowd (2006) Cholinergic synaptic transmission in Drosophila Kenyon cells in situ. J. Neurosci. 26: 265-272.

Hilgenberg, L.G.W, H. Su, H. Gu, D.K. O’Dowd, and M.A. Smith (2006) 3Na+/K+-ATPase is a neuronal receptor for agrin. Cell 125: 359-369.