Lawrence M. Grover
Associate Professor of Pharmacolgoy, Physiology & Toxicology
Joan C. Edward School of Medicine
Marshall University
Huntington, WV
Contact Information
grover@marshall.edu
Office phone: 304-696-7328
Office Address
Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center
Room 435Q
1700 Third Ave.
Huntington, WV 25755
Active Research Projects
1. Impact of REM sleep loss on hippocampal memory functions. The hippocampus is one of the major brain structures required for memory formation. Memory formation occurs through enhancement (potentiation) of synaptic function, and memory formation is impaired by sleep disruption. We are examining how deprivation of the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) portion of sleep affects hippocampal synaptic functions related to memory. We are also examining hippocampal-dependent learning using a spatial memory task (Morris water maze). One area of focus is the potential role of hormones as mediators for the effects of REM sleep loss on hippocampal function.
2. Models of signaling mechanisms in LTP. In the hippocampus, brief periods of high activity at excitatory synapses cause long lasting potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission. LTP is widely used as a cellular model for the synaptic changes which occurs during memory formation. In this project we combined experimental (my laboratory) and computation (Bill Holmes, Ohio University) approaches to model processes occurring at the cell, synapse and molecular levels during LTP.
Selected Publications
