 John F. Guzowski, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Neurobiology & Behavior; john.g@uci.edu I remember sitting in biochemistry class as an undergraduate student when I came to the realization that the ability of the adult brain to store memories, the core of an individual’s existence, is governed by the ability of neurons to alter patterns of gene transcription by integrating external and internal stimuli. This thought preceded the maturation of the field of modern molecular biology, which has since provided scientists the tools necessary to ask sophisticated questions as to how changes in neuronal gene expression influence memory and underlie behaivior. After getting my Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, studying the regulation of gene expression in viruses, I began to study in earnest how changes in neuronal gene expression were involved in the brain’s amazing ability to rapidly, and in some cases for a lifetime, form internal representations of our experiences. More recently, building on our basic findings of how the healthy brain forms memories, my lab has expanded its focus to gain insight into how cytokine and chemokines, induced during a number of disease states and in aging, alter these basic cellular and neural network properties involved in storing and retrieving memory. |
| Jennifer Czerniawski, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Researcher |
| Terra White Graduate Student Researcher |
| Terri Chang Undergraduate Student Researcher |
| Courtney Nguyen Undergraduate Student Researcher |
| Velinda Liao Undergraduate Student Researcher |
| Erika Tsang Undergraduate Student Researcher |
| Anthony Vu Undergraduate Student Researcher |
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The Guzowski Lab
Molecular & Cellular Mechanisms of Memory in Health and Disease
