For Faculty:
Resources for Faculty

Faculty Membership Policy

Committees

About Faculty:
Alphabetic Faculty List

Faculty Directory

Research Interests

Search Neuroscience

Eric A. Newman, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Neuroscience E-mail: ean@umn.edu Website: http://www2.neuroscience.umn.edu/eanwebsite/index.htm

Research Interests:

Research in our laboratory focuses on the physiology of glial cells and on interactions between glia, neurons and blood vessels in the central nervous system. Glial cells have traditionally been viewed as passive, housekeeper cells in the brain. This view has been overturned in recent years as studies have demonstrated that glial cells have many essential functions in the CNS and may actively participate in information processing.

We are studying several aspects of glial cell function, including i) neuronal activation of glial cells, ii) glial cell modulation of neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, iii) calcium signaling within and between glial cells, and iv) glial cell regulation of blood flow.

Recently, we have shown that factors released from glial cells regulate blood flow in the retina.  Light stimulation or direct activation of glial cells results in the release of arachidonic acid metabolites from glia. Some of these metabolites constrict while others dilate vessels.  We are studying how glia to vessel signaling is modulated and the role that glial cells play in controlling blood flow.

We use the mammalian retina as a model system for studying glia-neuron-vessel interactions. Our work utilizes several preparations, including the whole-mount retina and the open globe, in vivo eye. Confocal imaging of blood flow and neuronal and glial cell Ca 2+ , ATP imaging and whole-cell patch-clamp recording techniques are employed.

Selected Publications:

(For a comprehensive list of recent publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine.)

Metea MR, Newman EA. Signalling within the neurovascular unit in the mammalian retina. Exp Physiol. 2007 Jul;92(4):635-40.

Metea MR, Kofuji P, Newman EA. Neurovascular coupling is not mediated by potassium siphoning from glial cells. J Neurosci. 2007 Mar 7;27(10):2468-71.

Metea MR, Newman EA. Calcium signaling in specialized glial cells. Glia. 2006 Nov 15;54(7):650-5.

Newman EA. A purinergic dialogue between glia and neurons in the retina. Novartis Found Symp. 2006;276:193-202; discussion 202-7, 233-7, 275-81.

Metea MR, Newman EA. Glial cells dilate and constrict blood vessels: a mechanism of neurovascular coupling. J Neurosci. 2006 Mar 15;26(11):2862-70.

Newman EA. Calcium increases in retinal glial cells evoked by light-induced neuronal activity. J Neurosci. 2005 Jun 8;25(23):5502-10.

Kofuji P, Newman EA. Potassium buffering in the central nervous system. Neuroscience. 2004;129(4):1045-56.

Newman EA. Glial modulation of synaptic transmission in the retina. Glia. 2004 Aug 15;47(3):268-74.

Newman EA, Volterra A. Glial control of synaptic function. Glia. 2004 Aug 15;47(3):207-8.

Current Graduate Students:

Zeb Kurth-Nelson (Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).

Anusha Mishra (Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).

Former Graduate Students:

Benjamin Clark (Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).

Monica Metea (Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).