Arnold Heynen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor (Research) e-mail tel 617-324-7005

Research Interests
A fundamental question in neurobiology is understanding how experience alters the functional connectivity between neurons within the brain. Although there is now considerable evidence supporting the idea that some forms of information storage within the brain involve persistent, activity-dependent alterations in the efficacy of synaptic transmission, the detailed mechanisms which underlie these experience-dependent modifications in synaptic strength have yet to be fully identified. My research has concentrated on studying the mechanisms underlying activity-dependent regulation of synaptic efficacy in vivo, using both the hippocampus and visual cortex as model systems, with the long-term aim of understanding how sensory experiences leave a trace on the brain.

Recent Publications
Heynen, A.J., Abraham, W.C.& Bear, M.F. 1996. Homosynaptic long-term depression in adult hippocampus in vivo. Nature 381: 163-166.

Wu, L., Wells, D., Tay, J., Mendis, D., Abbott, M., Barnitt, A., Quinlan, B., Heynen, A., Fallon, J.R., & Richter, J.D. 1998. CPEB-mediated cytoplasmic polyadenylation and the regulation of experience-dependent translation of a-CamKII mRNA at synapses. Neuron 21: 1129-1139.

Heynen, A.J., Quinlan, E.M., Bae D.C., & Bear, M.F. 2000. Bidirectional, activity-dependent regulation of glutamate receptors in the adult hippocampus in vivo. Neuron 28: 527-536.

Rozas, C., Frank, H., Heynen, A.J., Morales, B., Bear, M.F., & Kirkwood, A. 2001. Developmental Inhibitory Gate Controls the Relay of Activity to the Superficial Layers of the Visual Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience.21: 6791-6801.

Heynen A.J., & Bear, M.F. 2001. Long-term potentiation of thalamocortical transmission in the adult visual cortex in vivo. Journal of Neuroscience 21: 9801-9813.

Heynen, A.J., Yoon, B.J., Liu, C.-H., Chung, H., Huganir, R.L. & Bear, M.F. 2003. Molecular mechanism for loss of visual cortical responsiveness following brief monocular deprivation. Nature Neuroscience (in press).