| Auditory neuroscience | Neural ensemble recording, morphological identification by juxtacellular labelling method, behavioural assessment of auditory functions in rodents, optogenetics, deep brain stimulation. | Shuzo Sakata |
| Cognitive processing | Use of operant techniques and differing schedules of reinforcement, coupled with direct brain interventions (voluntary and involuntary drug delivery; selective neurotoxins; transient lesions) to examine associative processing (action-outcome association and habit formation for example) in animal models. | Philip Winn |
| Drug addiction and dependence | Neurobiology of drug addiction; addictive liability and psychosis vulnerability of cannabinoids; benzodiazephine dependence | Judith Pratt |
| | Understanding the actions of nicotine in the CNS in rats, using either voluntary intravenous self-administration or by voluntary intra-cranial self-administration. | Philip Winn |
| Parkinson's disease | Analysis of gait, posture and locomotion in animal models of Parkinson's disease, and the use of stereotaxically targeted deep brain stimulation to alleviate deficits. | Philip Winn |
| Respiratory control | Plethysmography, EMG recordings of diaphragm, genioglossus and abdominal muscles and EEG recordings to study respiratory motor output during postnatal development and maturation. Rett-syndrome mouse model to study disturbances in respiration and behavioural phenotype. | Leanne C McKay |
| Schizophrenia | Schizophrenia: novel target identification and target validation. In vivo imaging and behavioural assessment of schizophrenia-like behaviours and cognition in PCP and genetic mouse models. Viral mediated gene manipulation of neuropsychiatric candidate genes and assessment in vivo. | Judith Pratt |
| | PsyRING phencyclidine rat model of schizophrenia - the only model to reproduce hypofrontality and cognitive deficits; evaluation of compounds to treat the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia | Judith Pratt Brian Morris |
| Spinal cord circuitry: Sensory processing | Tract-tracing protocols to study the synaptic organisation and neurochemical phenotypes of sensory fibres innervating skin, muscles and the viscera. Peripheral nerve injury models to study central changes implicated in the development of chronic pain states. Visceral stimulation protocols to study sensory pathways from the gut. Behavioural testing to assess changes in thermal and mechanical sensitivities. | David I Hughes |
| Spinal cord injury | Partial transaction model for study of axonal regeneration; Contusion model for study of neuroprotective strategies, neuroinflammation, re-myelination, plasticity, chronic pain; stem cell transplant mediated CNS repair. In vivo electrophysiological tests of spinal cord function. Tract-tracing for detection of anatomical plasticity and regeneration. Behavioural testing of sensorimotor function including automated gait analysis. ICV and intrathecal reagent delivery via indwelling cannula. | John Riddell |
| Spinal cord motor systems | Investigation of neuronal networks using stereotaxic and intraspinal injection of anatomical tacers. Identification of chemical phenotypes of neural network components using immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy. Induction of chemical markers within neurons activated by specific stimuli. | David Maxwell |
| Stroke | Middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice and rats; Stereotaxic transplantation of stem cells; in vivo real time cellular brain imaging by multiphoton microscopy; behavioural analysis for sensorimotor deficits; comprehensive histology and immunofluroescence; confocal microscopy. | Hilary Carswell |
| | A range of permanent and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion models in rodents; Serial MRI scans of ischaemic damage, cerebral blood flow, blood-brain barrier permeability, final infarct, etc; stereotaxic injections into CNS; laser Doppler flowmetry and utilisation, cerebral protein synthesis. Behavioural analysis of neurological deficits. | Mhairi Macrae Chris McCabe Graeme Deuchar |
| | Middle cerebral artery occlusion; stereotaoxic surgery; neurological assessment in rodents; in vivo autoradiography; influence of hyperglycaemia on stroke-induced damage; tract re-organisation after focal cerebral ischaemia. | Debbie Dewar |
