Visit the Aizenman Lab Website.
My interest in neuroscience began as an undergraduate here at Brown, where I worked in visual cortical synaptic plasticity in the laboratory of Mark Bear. As a PhD student in Johns Hopkins with David Linden, I studied plasticity of inhibitory inputs and of intrinsic excitability of deep-cerebellar nuclear neurons. My postdoctoral work was done in the lab of Holly Cline, where I combined my interest in the visual system with my interest in the regulation of neural excitability, work which continues in my current lab. I have been at Brown since summer 2004.
Liu Z, Ciarleglio CM, Hamodi AS, Aizenman CD, Pratt KG. "A population of gap junction-coupled neurons drives recurrent network activity in a developing visual circuit." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 115, no. 3, 2016, pp. 1477-86. |
Truszkowski, Torrey L. S., James, Eric J., Hasan, Mashfiq, Wishard, Tyler J., Liu, Zhenyu, Pratt, Kara G., Cline, Hollis T., Aizenman, Carlos D. "Fragile X mental retardation protein knockdown in the developing Xenopus tadpole optic tectum results in enhanced feedforward inhibition and behavioral deficits." Neural Dev, vol. 11, no. 1, 2016. |
Felch DL, Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. "Multisensory integration in the developing tectum is constrained by the balance of excitation and inhibition." eLife, vol. 5, 2016. |
Ciarleglio CM, Khakhalin AS, Wang AF, Constantino AC, Yip SP, Aizenman CD. "Multivariate analysis of electrophysiological diversity of Xenopus visual neurons during development and plasticity." eLife, vol. 4, 2015. |
Truszkowski TL, Aizenman CD. "Neurobiology: Setting the Set Point for Neural Homeostasis." Current Biology, vol. 25, no. 23, 2015, pp. R1132-3. |
James EJ, Gu J, Ramirez-Vizcarrondo CM, Hasan M, Truszkowski TL, Tan Y, Oupravanh PM, Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. "Valproate-induced neurodevelopmental deficits in Xenopus laevis tadpoles." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 35, no. 7, 2015, pp. 3218-29. |
Khakhalin AS, Koren D, Gu J, Xu H, Aizenman CD. "Excitation and inhibition in recurrent networks mediate collision avoidance in Xenopus tadpoles." European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 40, no. 6, 2014, pp. 2948-62. |
Dong W, Aizenman CD. "A competition-based mechanism mediates developmental refinement of tectal neuron receptive fields." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 32, no. 47, 2012, pp. 16872-9. |
Spawn A, Aizenman CD. "Abnormal visual processing and increased seizure susceptibility result from developmental exposure to the biocide methylisothiazolinone." Neuroscience, vol. 205, 2012, pp. 194-204. |
Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. "GABAergic transmission and chloride equilibrium potential are not modulated by pyruvate in the developing optic tectum of Xenopus laevis tadpoles." PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 4, 2012, pp. e34446. |
Bell MR, Belarde JA, Johnson HF, Aizenman CD. "A neuroprotective role for polyamines in a Xenopus tadpole model of epilepsy." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 14, no. 4, 2011, pp. 505-12. |
Deeg KE, Aizenman CD. "Sensory modality-specific homeostatic plasticity in the developing optic tectum." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 14, no. 5, 2011, pp. 548-50. |
Xu, H., Khakhalin, A. S., Nurmikko, A. V., Aizenman, C. D. "Visual experience-dependent maturation of correlated neuronal activity patterns in a developing visual system." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 31, no. 22, 2011, pp. 8025-8036. |
Richards BA, Aizenman CD, Akerman CJ. "In vivo spike-timing-dependent plasticity in the optic tectum of Xenopus laevis." Frontiers in synaptic neuroscience, vol. 2, 2010, pp. 7. |
Ruthazer ES, Aizenman CD. "Learning to see: patterned visual activity and the development of visual function." Trends in Neurosciences, vol. 33, no. 4, 2010, pp. 183-92. |
Lee RH, Mills EA, Schwartz N, Bell MR, Deeg KE, Ruthazer ES, Marsh-Armstrong N, Aizenman CD. "Neurodevelopmental effects of chronic exposure to elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a developing visual system." Neural development, vol. 5, 2010, pp. 2. |
Deeg KE, Sears IB, Aizenman CD. "Development of multisensory convergence in the Xenopus optic tectum." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 102, no. 6, 2009, pp. 3392-404. |
Pratt KG, Aizenman CD. "Multisensory integration in mesencephalic trigeminal neurons in Xenopus tadpoles." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 102, no. 1, 2009, pp. 399-412. |
Dong W, Lee RH, Xu H, Yang S, Pratt KG, Cao V, Song YK, Nurmikko A, Aizenman CD. "Visual avoidance in Xenopus tadpoles is correlated with the maturation of visual responses in the optic tectum." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 101, no. 2, 2009, pp. 803-15. |
Xu, Heng, Davitt, Kristina M., Dong, Wei, Song, Yoon-Kyu, Patterson III, William R., Aizenman, Carlos D., Nurmikko, Arto V. "Combining Multicore Imaging Fiber With Matrix Addressable Blue/Green LED Arrays for Spatiotemporal Photonic Excitation at Cellular Level." IEEE J. Select. Topics Quantum Electron., vol. 14, no. 1, 2008, pp. 167-170. |
Pratt KG, Dong W, Aizenman CD. "Development and spike timing-dependent plasticity of recurrent excitation in the Xenopus optic tectum." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 11, no. 4, 2008, pp. 467-75. |
Xu, H., Davitt, K. M., Dong, W., Song, Y.-K., Patterson, W. R., Nurmikko, A. V., Aizenman, C. D. "Integration of a matrix addressable blue/green LED array with multicore imaging fiber for spatiotemporal excitation in endoscopic biomedical applications." phys. stat. sol. (c), vol. 5, no. 6, 2008, pp. 2299-2302. |
Heng Xu, None, Davitt, Kristina M., Wei Dong, None, Yoon-Kyu Song, None, Pattersion, William R., Aizenman, Carlos D., Nurmikko, Arto V. "Microscale flexible image projection device for spatiotemporal excitation in the research of visual system development." 2008 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2008. |
Ewald RC, Van Keuren-Jensen KR, Aizenman CD, Cline HT. "Roles of NR2A and NR2B in the development of dendritic arbor morphology in vivo." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 28, no. 4, 2008, pp. 850-61. |
Aizenman CD, Pratt KG. "There's more than one way to scale a synapse." Neuron, vol. 58, no. 5, 2008, pp. 651-3. |
Aizenman CD, Cline HT. "Enhanced visual activity in vivo forms nascent synapses in the developing retinotectal projection." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 97, no. 4, 2007, pp. 2949-57. |
Pratt KG, Aizenman CD. "Homeostatic regulation of intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission in a developing visual circuit." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 27, no. 31, 2007, pp. 8268-77. |
Aizenman CD, Huang EJ, Linden DJ. "Morphological correlates of intrinsic electrical excitability in neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 89, no. 4, 2003, pp. 1738-47. |
Aizenman CD, Akerman CJ, Jensen KR, Cline HT. "Visually driven regulation of intrinsic neuronal excitability improves stimulus detection in vivo." Neuron, vol. 39, no. 5, 2003, pp. 831-42. |
Li Z, Aizenman CD, Cline HT. "Regulation of rho GTPases by crosstalk and neuronal activity in vivo." Neuron, vol. 33, no. 5, 2002, pp. 741-50. |
Aizenman CD, Muñoz-Elías G, Cline HT. "Visually driven modulation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission is mediated by the regulation of intracellular polyamines." Neuron, vol. 34, no. 4, 2002, pp. 623-34. |
Aizenman CD, Linden DJ. "Rapid, synaptically driven increases in the intrinsic excitability of cerebellar deep nuclear neurons." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 3, no. 2, 2000, pp. 109-11. |
Aizenman CD, Huang EJ, Manis PB, Linden DJ. "Use-dependent changes in synaptic strength at the Purkinje cell to deep nuclear synapse." Progress in brain research, vol. 124, 2000, pp. 257-73. |
Aizenman CD, Linden DJ. "Regulation of the rebound depolarization and spontaneous firing patterns of deep nuclear neurons in slices of rat cerebellum." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 82, no. 4, 1999, pp. 1697-709. |
Aizenman CD, Manis PB, Linden DJ. "Polarity of long-term synaptic gain change is related to postsynaptic spike firing at a cerebellar inhibitory synapse." Neuron, vol. 21, no. 4, 1998, pp. 827-35. |
Ji RR, Schlaepfer TE, Aizenman CD, Epstein CM, Qiu D, Huang JC, Rupp F. "Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation activates specific regions in rat brain." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 95, no. 26, 1998, pp. 15635-40. |
Aizenman CD, Kirkwood A, Bear MF. "A current source density analysis of evoked responses in slices of adult rat visual cortex: implications for the regulation of long-term potentiation." Cerebral Cortex, vol. 6, no. 6, 1996, pp. 751-8. |
Hess G, Aizenman CD, Donoghue JP. "Conditions for the induction of long-term potentiation in layer II/III horizontal connections of the rat motor cortex." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 75, no. 5, 1996, pp. 1765-78. |
Kirkwood A, Dudek SM, Gold JT, Aizenman CD, Bear MF. "Common forms of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and neocortex in vitro." Science, vol. 260, no. 5113, 1993, pp. 1518-21. |
"Author response image 1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08142.018." [], 1900. |
For a full research overview, visit the Aizenman Lab Website.
The long-term goal of my research is to understand the role of sensory experience in shaping the connectivity and functional properties of developing neural circuits, as well as it's implications for neurodevelopmental disorders. We focus on the visual system of Xenopus laevis tadpoles; a preparation amenable to a variety of experimental approaches, ranging from molecular biology, single-cell electrophysiology, live cell imaging, computational modeling, and behavior.
a. Current Grants
NSF IOS
Cellular determinants of visual system function and behavior.
Role: PI
Mentee Grants:
GRFP for Eric James
Role: Mentor
NRSA for Torrey Truszkowski
Role: Mentor
b. Completed Grants
NIH 1R01EY019578-01A1 1/01/2010 12/31/2013
Cellular basis of visually-guided behavior during development
Role: PI
NSF IOS-0746558 4/01/08 3/31/14
CAREER Award
CAREER: Cellular determinants of visual system function and development,
Role: PI
Whitehall Foundation 7/01/08 6/31/11
Research Grant
A developmental role for the regulation of neuronal excitability in the Xenopus visual system.
Role: PI
NSF 2007059474 9/01/07 8/31/10
GRFP for Mark Bell
Role: Mentor
Brown University Dean of the College 9/2008 9/2009
Curricular Development Grant
Role: PI
American Heart Association National Chapter 9/01/04 - 7/01/08
Starter Scholar Award
Physiological regulation of polyamine synthesis by neural activity: a novel neuroprotective mechanism?
Role: PI
NIH - 5F32EY016939-02 7/01/06 6/30/08
NRSA for Kara Pratt
Role: Mentor
Klingenstein Foundation 7/01/04 7/01/08
Klingenstein Fellow
Visual activity-driven regulation of intrinsic excitability in the developing visual system
Role: PI
Brown University BSP 3/01/06 4/01/07
Pilot Project Grant
Development of microscale optical probes to study development of the visual system in vivo.
Role: Co-PI
Rhode Island Foundation 1/01/07 12/31/07
Medical Research Grant
Experience-dependent development of a neural circuit.
Role: PI
See Publications tab.
Year | Degree | Institution |
---|---|---|
2000 | PhD | The Johns Hopkins University |
1993 | ScB | Brown University |
Name | Title |
---|---|
Aizenman, Carlos | Professor of Neuroscience |
NEUR 1020 - Principles of Neurobiology |
NEUR 2030 - Advanced Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology I |