Thomas Abrams

Thomas Abrams is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of learning and memory using Aplysia as a model organism, with notable contributions to understanding calmodulin-sensitive adenylyl cyclase as a coincidence detector and developing innovative approaches for graduate education in experimental design.

• Primary Appointment: Pharmacology
• Secondary Appointment: Anesthesiology

Education:

• B.A. in Biology from Carleton College (1972)
• Ph.D. in Zoology/Physiology from University of Washington (1981)
• Postdoc in Neurobiology at Columbia University (1986)

Dr. Abrams' research spans three decades investigating synaptic plasticity mechanisms, including:

• Role of adenylyl cyclase in associative learning
• Protein kinase C and Arf proteins in sensory gating
• Bioinformatic innovations for Aplysia transcriptome assembly
• Development of critical thinking training programs for PhD students

In collaboration with the Institute of Genome Sciences, he created one of the most complete transcriptomes for non-genomic species. His work also includes establishing the Proseminar in Hypothesis Testing and Experimental Design.

Scientific Awards:

• 2008 Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Education
• 2008 Teacher of the Year (Program in Neuroscience)
• 2012 USM Regents' Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation

His research keywords include learning and memory, synaptic plasticity, neuromodulation, ionic currents, transcriptomics, and protein kinase C signaling.