The goal of the research in my laboratory is to understand the relationship between intrinsic properties of individual neurons and nervous system function. We are particularly interested in motor function and in the plasticity of motoneuron electrical properties induced by neuronal activity, neurotransmitters, hormones, growth factors and injury. To this end, we utilize electrophysiological techniques to examine motoneuron properties and function in rats and mice.

A major focus is the neural control of micturition and injury-induced bladder-sphincter dyssynergia. Frequently a consequence of injury to the spinal cord, bladder-sphincter dyssynergia is due in large part to hyperactivity of the external urethral sphincter muscle such that it fails to relax during bladder contraction resulting in incomplete voiding and urine retention. Ongoing studies address the hypothesis that spinal cord injury produces an increase in the intrinsic excitability of external urethral sphincter motoneurons that contributes significantly to the development of bladder-sphincter dyssynergia.