معرفی
Kathy Nordeen is a Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. Her research examines neural mechanisms of vocal learning and plasticity in songbirds, using molecular, pharmacological, and behavioral approaches to understand how experience shapes neural circuits during sensitive periods.
Key research areas include:
- Role of basal ganglia pathways and dopaminergic systems in vocal learning
- Biochemical and synaptic changes underlying auditory memory formation
- Neurogenesis and dendritic spine dynamics during sensitive periods
- NMDA receptor regulation in developmental and adult plasticity
- Neural basis of species-specific vocal preferences
Her laboratory has demonstrated that deafening-induced vocal deterioration can be reversed by manipulating basal ganglia-forebrain circuits, revealing therapeutic targets for neural repair. Current projects investigate dopaminergic signaling during song tutoring and CaMKII activation in auditory memory formation.
Research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Science Foundation, Schmitt Foundation, and Whitehall Foundation.
