Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2006

Mentor: Subroto Ghose M.D., Ph.D.
Department: Psychiatry
Room number: NE5.110K
Mail Code: 9127
Phone number: 214 65 2783
E-mail: subroto.ghose@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Glutamate dysfunction in schizophrenia

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects). Patient-based, basic research (human post mortem brain tissue research)

Brief Description of Project: Schizophrenia is a chronic psychotic brain disease of unknown etiology. PCP (angel dust), a drug that blocks the NMDA receptor, mimics the effects of schizophrenia. Similarly, other NMDA blockers, like ketamine, produce the same effect. Neuroimaging during ketamine administration shows a specific brain activation pattern that correlates with the severity of psychosis. We are characterizing glutamate receptor profiles in these brain regions using human post mortem tissue. Human post mortem tissue provides a resource by which we can directly examine molecular targets in brain tissue.
Techniques will include in situ hybridization studies to detect mRNA expression patterns and western blotting to examine protein levels. We will also determine the effect of certain genetic polymorphisms on these expression profiles.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

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