2013 ITG Grand Rapids

I will be presenting to the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild Grand Valley State University\u27s plans for hosting the 2013 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. GVSU has been selected to host the 2013 conference which will bring over 1200 trumpeters to Grand Rapids June 11-15, 2013. The 2012 conference will be held at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia

Judge and Performer

I have been asked to serve as a Judge in the Master\u27s Degree Solo Competition for the National Trumpet Competition to be held March 14 - 18, 2012 at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. In addition I have been asked to perform with the faculty trumpet ensemble at the conference. I will also continue coaching and teaching GVSU Trumpet Ensemble A selected as a semi-finalist in the Trumpet Ensemble Competition and two of my GVSU students who have been selected as semi-finalists in the College Solo Competition

The functional impact of neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus on the awake visual cortex

Geniculocortical neurons provide a powerful synaptic drive to mammalian sensory neocortex. In vivo, this synaptic impact has generally been explored using cross-correlation analysis, which is usually limited to examining the influence of a single presynaptic neuron on a single postsynaptic target. Here, we combine spike triggered averaging and current source density analysis (Swadlow et al., 2002) to examine the monosynaptic currents generated in V1 by spontaneous impulses of single geniculocortical neurons of differing receptive field classes. Cortical recordings were obtained using a 16 channel silicone probe with 100-micron vertical spacing. The first study was designed to explore differences in the topography, amplitude, and time course of impacts generated from sustained and transient neurons of the LGN. In addition we examine the idea that differences in synaptic dynamics may partially mediate the sustained/transient response distinction We found that different geniculocortical axons generated distinct degrees of synaptic depression that were conserved over time and across their terminal arbors in layers 4 and 6. Surprisingly, however, synapses of Sustained neurons showed more, not less depression than those of Transient neurons. Nevertheless, Sustained neurons provided a strong and sustained flow of information to the cortex during maintained visual stimulation. These results show, for the first time, a clear relationship between synaptic dynamics and receptive field response dynamics of mammalian sensory neurons.

The functional impact of neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus on the awake visual cortex

Geniculocortical neurons provide a powerful synaptic drive to mammalian sensory neocortex. In vivo, this synaptic impact has generally been explored using cross-correlation analysis, which is usually limited to examining the influence of a single presynaptic neuron on a single postsynaptic target. Here, we combine spike triggered averaging and current source density analysis (Swadlow et al., 2002) to examine the monosynaptic currents generated in V1 by spontaneous impulses of single geniculocortical neurons of differing receptive field classes. Cortical recordings were obtained using a 16 channel silicone probe with 100-micron vertical spacing. The first study was designed to explore differences in the topography, amplitude, and time course of impacts generated from sustained and transient neurons of the LGN. In addition we examine the idea that differences in synaptic dynamics may partially mediate the sustained/transient response distinction We found that different geniculocortical axons generated distinct degrees of synaptic depression that were conserved over time and across their terminal arbors in layers 4 and 6. Surprisingly, however, synapses of Sustained neurons showed more, not less depression than those of Transient neurons. Nevertheless, Sustained neurons provided a strong and sustained flow of information to the cortex during maintained visual stimulation. These results show, for the first time, a clear relationship between synaptic dynamics and receptive field response dynamics of mammalian sensory neurons.