My research examines the presynaptic effects of the neuromodulator serotonin on synaptic vesicle organization and release mechanisms in the crayfish neuromuscular junction.  I use a combination of electrophysiology, FM-dye imaging, and electron microscopy to investigate the mechanism by which serotonin increases transmitter release. 

My research focuses on a form of long term potentiation in the amphibian amygdala that can be induced by low frequency stimulation to the accessory olfactory tract. I'm working to characterize the circuitry and cellular mechanisms involved by using electrophysiology and voltage sensitive dye imaging.

I study the effect of Omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplementation, alone or in combination with exercise, on brain health, particularly when the brain has been previously damaged by diseases such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Specific areas of interest are oxidative stress, hippocampal neurogenesis, learning and memory, electrophysiology and behaviour.

Nicotine addiction, the leading cause of preventable mortality worldwide, results in modification of critical neuropathways in the central nervous system. Utilizing a genetically modified mouse line containing fluorescently tagged nicotinic receptors, I am investigating the effect of nicotine at a cellular level in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with executive control over regions of reward, habit formation and addictive behaviour.

Postglacial changes in forest community structure

My research involves the use of plant micro- and macrofossils from lake sediment cores from Stowell Lake, Saltspring Island to investigate how forest community structure has changed since the last glacial maximum. This data will be used to analyze the life history characteristics that contribute to these changes, thus linking modern and paleoecological theories.

My research involves examining cell fate determination of bipolar and photoreceptor cells in the developing retina. I am using genetic and pharmacological approaches to inhibit and promote cell signaling events which may allow me to alter the cell fate of retinal progenitor cells.

I study excessive inhibition in the brain following focal ischemic stroke and how reduced cortical activity effects functional recovery in a rodent model. To determine the mechanism of excessive inhibition following stroke, I use pharmacological manipulations and confocal and functional imaging techniques.

I am investigating the therapeutic effects of acute and chronic peripheral electrical nerve stimulation during recovery from focal ischemic stroke. I use electrophysiological, histological, and functional imaging techniques to assess neurological recovery following stimulation in a photothrombotic stroke model.