POSTDOCTORAL POSITION: PRIMATE COLOR VISION
We have recently obtained support for a postdoctoral fellow to construct
a realistic computer model of the midget ganglion cells in macaque
retina.
The goal of this project is to describe the neural circuit that provides
input to midget retinal ganglion cells, the neurons that give rise to
one of the major parallel processing streams in the visual pathway of
primates. These ganglion cells, which are also known as P cells because
they project to the parvocellular layers of the lateral geniculate
nucleus, are thought to contribute to both spatial vision and red-green
color vision. Their inputs from red and green cones via midget bipolar
cells have been well- characterized, and two types of amacrine cells in
this pathway are being analyzed now using anatomical techniques. The
working hypothesis is that interactions between these two amacrine cells
are essential to account for the surround responses of midget ganglion
cells. The model will be used to investigate why, under some
circumstances, the surrounds appear to be cone-specific, despite the
fact that there are no cone-specific connections except those in the
central retina between cones, midget bipolar cells, and midget ganglion
cells.
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David W. Marshak, Ph.D.
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
University of Texas Medical School
6431 Fannin Street Box 20708
Houston, TX 77225 USA
phone 713 500 5617
fax 713 500 0621
http://nba19.med.uth.tmc.edu/faculty/marshak.htm