معرفی
James Cherry is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Boston University, serving as Director of Graduate Studies and leading the Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology & Behavior. His research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphisms in the nervous system, particularly how olfactory systems process socially relevant odors like pheromones. He collaborates with Dr. Michael Baum to study how sex differences in odor processing arise from anatomical hard-wiring versus hormonal influences. His work combines neuroanatomical tracing (e.g., using anterograde tracers like Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin) with optogenetic techniques to map neural circuits connecting olfactory bulbs to amygdalar regions. Recent studies investigate projections from the main olfactory bulb to the medial amygdala and the role of these pathways in processing predator odors and sexual signals.
Education: PhD from North Carolina State University. Laboratory techniques include whole-mount flattened cortex preparations to visualize axonal projections and Fos protein mapping to assess neural activity. His courses include PS 231 (Physiological Psychology) and PS504 (Genes, Brain, and Behavior), emphasizing evolutionary and genetic bases of behavior.
Research highlights include demonstrating direct main olfactory bulb projections to the 'vomeronasal amygdala' in female mice and showing how optogenetic stimulation of PCDH-21 neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb activates medial amygdala neurons. His work reveals critical roles for medial amygdala connectivity in sexual behavior and odor preference formation.
