meisami@life.illinois.edu
414 Natural History Bldg
Office: (217) 244-6175
Lab: (217) 244-6176/3-3520
Fax: (217) 333-1133
Mail to:
Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
524 Burrill Hall
407 S. Goodwin Ave
Urbana, IL 61801
Esmail Meisami
Associate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and Neuroscience
Education
B.A. 1967 University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. 1970 University of California, Berkeley
Teaching Interests
Brain development; hormones & growth factors in recovery from early neural retardation; neurobiology of the olfactory system
Current research in Dr. Meisami's lab is focused on the following topics:
- Neurobiology, design and structure/function relationship in main olfactory and vomeronasal system during development, regeneration and aging. Specifically, we are interested in the interactions of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and its receptors, p75 (neurotrophin receptor) and p145 (trkA) with the thyroid hormones in relation to neuronal development, plasticity and recovery from early brain damage.
- Olfactory sensory neurons are the only neurons capable of replacement and de novo regeneration. We study the correlative changes of these regenerative events in the olfactory bulb in the context of plasticity of brain structures in the developing and adult animals and fidelity of regeneration.
- Another topic of current research (collaboration with Dr. Phil Best Lab) relates to the role of low voltage activated calcium channels in the development of various brain regions; we are particularly interested in seeing if the expression of these channels (protein and mRNA) in the olfactory structures changes in regeneration and degeneration and in hypothyroid and recovery conditions.
- Hormones and neurotrophins in development and plasticity of the brain and in its recovery from early damage and retardation.
- We believe that the quantitative relationship between the various structural elements such as the receptor neurons, glomeruli, mitral and granule cells are important determinants of functional abilities such as olfactory sensitivity and discrimination; these parameters are therefore explored in the context of species variation (macrosmatic vs. microsmatic animals), postnatal development and aging. Our studies include the main and accessory (vomeronasal) olfactory systems.
Representative Publications
Meisami, E., Brown, C. and Emerle, H. (2002) "Sensory Systems: Normal Aging, Disorders and Treatments of Vision and Hearing in Humans". In: "Physiological Basis of Aging & Geriatrics" (P.S. Timiras, ed.), 3rd ed., Chap. 10, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Kapit, W., Macey, R., and E. Meisami (2000) "The Physiology Coloring Book," 2nd revised edition, Bejamin/Cummings (Addison, Wesley, Longman), Menlo Park, California.
Brown, C., Best, P., and E. Meisami (1999) "Determination of mRNA for low voltage activated calcium channels in the developing rat olfactory bulb," Chemical Senses 24:533.
Karnik, S., Kanter, D., Kallwitz, E. and Meisami, E. (1999) "Recovery of olfactory bulb laminar volumes following olfactory nerve regeneration," Chemical Senses 24:531.
Meisami, E., Mikhail, L., Baim, D., and K.P. Bhatnagar (1998) "Human olfactory bulb: aging of glomeruli & mitral cells and a search for the accessory olfactory bulb," Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 855:708-715. [Abstract]