Temerty Faculty of Medicine
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Professor

Frances Skinner

Neuroscience Platform

PhD

skinner

fskinner@uhnresearch.ca

(416) 603-5800 - ext: 5107

(416) 603-5745

Website

Publications

Address
Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Research Institute, Krembil Discovery Tower, 60 Leonard Avenue, 7th floor, Rm. 411, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5T 2S8
Research Interests
Mathematical modeling; Computational Neuroscience; Inhibitory cell models.

Degrees: Ph.D. 1992

Courses Taught :  PSL 1071 (organizer and lecturer); PSL 1050 (lecturer)


Research Synopsis

Keywords: Alzheimer's, electrophysiology, epilepsy, hippocampus, inhibitory cell, interneuron, ion channel, mathematical model, memory, network, model database, neural networks and dynamics, NEURON software, nonlinear dynamics oscillator, rhythm, schizophrenia, sleep, synaptic plasticity, synaptic transmission, synapse.

Detailed Description: Our lab develops and analyzes mathematical models of neurons and neuronal networks.  Our present emphases are on the diverse, heterogeneous nature of inhibitory interneurons in hippocampus, on cellular-based mechanisms generating and controlling (rhythmic) population network output in hippocampus, and on (model and experimental) data analyses to examine underlying mechanisms.
Given the importance of the hippocampus in learning and memory and the multitude of experimental investigations and neurological conditions involving the hippocampus, our long-term goal is to use our developed models to help determine cellular and network mechanistic disruptions that underlie various neurological conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, schizophrenia etc.).

METHODS USED

Procedures: computer modeling, mathematical modeling, mathematical analyses, data analyses (MATLAB), specialized software (NEURON, Brian, XPPAUT)

EQUIPMENT USED

High performance computing (e.g., SciNet), Neuroscience Gateway (NSG)

PRESENT TRAINEES

Katie Ferguson
Vlad Sekulic
Alexandre Guet-McCreight
Alexandra (Pierri) Chatzikalymniou

PRESENT COLLABORATIONS

Within the Department of Physiology
Peter Carlen
Jim Eubanks

Outside of the Department of Physiology Sylvain Williams (McGill University, Douglas Mental Health Institute)
Sylvain Williams (McGill University, Douglas Mental Health Institute)
Liang Zhang (TWRI)
Josh Lawrence (University of Montana)
Emily Stone (Math, University of Montana)
Sue Ann Campbell (Applied Math, University of Waterloo)
Lisa Topolnik (Laval)

PRESENT GRANT COMMITTEES SERVED ON

Agency: NSERC Review Panel (till 2013)
Committee:
Agency: Compute Canada               
Committee: Bioinformatics, Neuroscience and Medical Imaging Review Committee (2012, 2013, 2014)


Recent Publications

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25774132


Appointments

Primary: Medicine (Neurology)