Stefan Pulver博士在神经生理学和神经遗传学方面有多年的教学和研究经验。在美国Brandeis University获得博士学位后，他前往英国剑桥大学(Cambridge University)工作，并作为客座教师在美国康奈尔大学(Cornell University)任教。Stefan Pulver博士在各种科学杂志上发表了许多杰出的期刊论文。
起初，Stefan并不喜欢遗传学，但是现在，他全身心地投入研究生教学，这是为什么呢？
他说："I was really a pretty terrible undergrad student. In particular, I deeply disliked genetics and didn't pay attention in genetics classes - something I regret now. I think a lot of students have a similar experience; something about the way we teach genetics just doesn’t resonate with a lot of young biologists.
Part of the reason why I'm doing what I’m doing now is to reach out to people who were like me. I want to try and get young people - who would normally hate genetics - interested in the subject."
生理学教学实验室的亮点
Stefan Pulver博士和他的同事Nick Hornstein (Brandeis University), Bruce Land和Bruce Johnson (Cornell University)最近建立了一系列实验教学模块，向研究生介绍遗传学，同时教授细胞生理学和动物行为学。
他们的工作已经发表在《Advances in Physiology Education》杂志：Optogenetics in the teaching laboratory: using channelrhodopsin-2 to study the neural basis of behavior and synaptic physiology in Drosophila。文中详细介绍了一种名为“光遗传学”的新技术：在果蝇大脑的特定神经元表现Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) (蓝光敏感离子通道)的性状。
在自由活动的ChR2表达果蝇体内，特定神经元和突触能通过蓝光照射被激活，这个技术已被广泛应用于遗传学生物载体(如果蝇、线虫、斑马鱼和小鼠等)。但是由于这个技术成本较高，因此尚未在研究生教学领域广泛应用。
在文中，Stefan Pulver博士和他的合作者展示了一种廉价的方法将这种新技术引入教学实验室，从而鼓励研究生们将它运用到各自的生物学研究中去。
Stefan Pulver博士说：“People have this idea that optogenetics is this high tech thing that requires fancy lasers, expensive equipment, and bunch of people with PhDs, but it’s really not that complicated, at least with fruit flies. All you need are the right flies, LEDs, some basic electronics, and a class of curious undergrads.”
Screen captures taken from JoVE's video publication of Hornstein, Pulver and Griffith (2009)
Images reproduced with express permission from JoVE
他们的工作是过去几年研究生教学的巅峰。在过去三年中，Stefan Pulver博士和他的合作者在康奈尔大学神经生理学基础课(BioNB491，由Bruce Johnson教授)中进行相关实验，学生们采用蓝光激活果蝇幼虫的神经系统的不同部分，然后检测行为学的变化，并记录光诱发突触电位。
全新的教学模块使教师能够采用可观测的互动方式深入介绍遗传学、细胞生理学和动物行为学之间的关系，突破了显微分子方法的局限。 同时，学生们也通过实验在ChR2研究中开辟了之前的研究者未能达到的全新领域。
学生们在参与实践之后几乎全部给出了良好的反馈：
· 100%的学生对神经生理学和行为学产生浓厚兴趣
· 94%的学生希望进行神经科学的前沿研究
· 超过75%的学生对遗传学的兴趣增强
Bruce Johnson, Senior Teaching Associate
Cornell University
“Seeing students get excited in the lab was awesome, but I have to admit, seeing quantitated student response data that clearly showed how well the exercises worked was equally rewarding.”
Stefan博士的灵感来源于 Hoy, Robert Wyttenbach和 Bruce Johnson ，他们在上世纪80-90年代改良了小龙虾神经肌肉接头实验，使之成为神经生理学教学的重要工具(The Crawdad Project)。
Stefan博士和许多年轻科学家一样，通过小龙虾神经肌肉接头实验首次记录突触电位，进而对动物行为的神经基础研究(神经行为学)产生了浓厚兴趣，最终成为了他的职业。
他希望他的论文能够像他的前辈们那样使基层学生对神经行为学产生浓厚的兴趣。
Nick Hornstein, graduate student
MD/PhD Program - Columbia University
指引研究生取得成功
Stefan博士还通过各种方式为研究生们提供帮助。在发展“光遗传学”技术的项目中，他吸纳研究生Nick Hornstein成为成员之一。Nick在Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE)杂志上发表的论文为教学实验室的下一步发展提供了坚实的基础。
Nick在其研究生第二年作为第一作者在JoVE杂志发表了相关论文，相关研究同时投稿《Neurophysiology》，他因此获得了2009年度的Barry M. Goldwater奖学金。Nick在Brandeis University获得硕士学位后，于2011年9月前往哥伦比亚大学(Columbia University)继续攻读神经生理学博士学位。
Stefan Pulver博士将在2011年美国神经学年会(Washington, DC)上展示他的工作，如果您对他的工作感兴趣，可以与他当面交流。您也可以前往1316号展位参观ADInstruments的最新神经生理学相关产品。
Publications:
· 2011: Stefan R Pulver; Nicholas J Hornstein; Bruce L Land; Bruce R Johnson
Optogenetics in the teaching laboratory: using channelrhodopsin-2 to study the neural basis of behavior and synaptic physiology in Drosophila. Advances in physiology education 2011;35(1):82-91.
· 2010: Nair A, Bate M, Pulver SR
Characterization of voltage-gated ionic currents in a peripheral sensory neuron in larval Drosophila. BMC Res Notes. 2010 Jun 2;3:154.
· 2010: Berni, J., Muldal, A.M., Pulver, S.R.
Using Neurogenetics and the Warmth-Gated Ion Channel TRPA1 to Study. The Neural Basis of Behavior in Drosophila J Undergrad Neuro Ed 2010. 9(1):A5-A14
· 2010: Jean-Marc Goaillard; Adam L Taylor; Stefan R Pulver; Eve Marder
Slow and persistent postinhibitory rebound acts as an intrinsic short-term memory mechanism. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2010;30(13):4687-92.
· 2010: Stefan R Pulver; Leslie C Griffith
Spike integration and cellular memory in a rhythmic network from Na+/K+ pump current dynamics. Nature neuroscience 2010;13(1):53-9.
· 2009: Stefan R Pulver; Stanislav L Pashkovski; Nicholas J Hornstein; Paul A Garrity; Leslie C Griffith
Temporal dynamics of neuronal activation by Channelrhodopsin-2 and TRPA1 determine behavioral output inDrosophila larvae. Journal of neurophysiology 2009;101(6):3075-88.
· 2009: Nicholas J Hornstein; Stefan R Pulver; Leslie C Griffith
Channelrhodopsin2 mediated stimulation of synaptic potentials at Drosophila neuromuscular junctions. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE 2009;(25):.
· 2008: Katherine M Parisky; Jose Agosto; Stefan R Pulver; Yuhua Shang; Elena Kuklin; James J L Hodge; Kyeongjin Kang; Keongjin Kang; Xu Liu; Paul A Garrity; et al.
PDF cells are a GABA-responsive wake-promoting component of the Drosophila sleep circuit. Neuron 2008;60(4):672-82.
· 2008: Fumika N Hamada; Mark Rosenzweig; Kyeongjin Kang; Stefan R Pulver; Alfredo Ghezzi; Timothy J Jegla; Paul A Garrity
An internal thermal sensor controlling temperature preference in Drosophila. Nature 2008;454(7201):217-20.
· 2005: Stefan R Pulver; Dirk Bucher; David J Simon; Eve Marder
Constant amplitude of postsynaptic responses for single presynaptic action potentials but not bursting input during growth of an identified neuromuscular junction in the lobster, Homarus americanus. Journal of neurobiology 2005;62(1):47-61.
· 2003: Lingjun Li; Wayne P Kelley; Cyrus P Billimoria; Andrew E Christie; Stefan R Pulver; Jonathan V Sweedler; Eve Marder
Mass spectrometric investigation of the neuropeptide complement and release in the pericardial organs of the crab, Cancer borealis. Journal of neurochemistry 2003;87(3):642-56.
· 2003: Stefan R Pulver; Vatsala Thirumalai; Kathryn S Richards; Eve Marder
Dopamine and histamine in the developing stomatogastric system of the lobster Homarus americanus. The Journal of comparative neurology 2003;462(4):400-14.
· 2003: Kathryn S Richards; David J Simon; Stefan R Pulver; Barbara S Beltz; Eve Marder
Serotonin in the developing stomatogastric system of the lobster, Homarus americanus. Journal of neurobiology 2003;54(2):380-92.
· 2002: Stefan R Pulver; Eve Marder
Neuromodulatory complement of the pericardial organs in the embryonic lobster, Homarus americanus. The Journal of comparative neurology 2002;451(1):79-90.
· 2002: Lingjun Li; Stefan R Pulver; Wayne P Kelley; Vatsala Thirumalai; Jonathan V Sweedler; Eve Marder
Orcokinin peptides in developing and adult crustacean stomatogastric nervous systems and pericardial organs. The Journal of comparative neurology 2002;444(3):227-44.
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