Dwayne W. Godwin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
University of Alabama at Birmingham (1992)

 Basic Science Interests: thalamic physiology; neurophysiology of T-type calcium channels;
role of nitric oxide in the central nervous system; corticothalamic physiology

Related Clinical Interests: vision, alcoholism, epilepsy, parkinson’s disease, adult stem cells

We experience the world through a variety of behavioral states that range from sleep to directed attention. Our consciousness shifts from one state to another with an ease that obscures the underlying neuronal complexity.  Our reality is ultimately an internal simulation of external physical phenomena. My laboratory is focused on the problem of how the nervous system exerts early control of its own sensory input in different behavioral states, and how this control is disrupted in diseases of the central nervous system. One model system that we use for studying this state-dependent processing is the thalamus. The thalamus supports normal sensory perception as well as complex brain rhythms that can become disordered in CNS disease. One of the great advantages of using thalamic model systems is that they are so well characterized anatomically, physiologically, and neurochemically.

In our studies we employ a multidisciplinary mix of modern neuroscience techniques, including patch clamp recordings in slices, single neuron recordings paired with in vivo micropharmacology, immunocytochemistry coupled with light and electron microscopic anatomy, behavioral techniques, and molecular approaches such as real time RTPCR. We are also developing exciting new tools for delivering labile neurotransmitters, such as nitric oxide, to the central nervous system.

  Projects: 
 

Epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. The thalamus is involved in several disorders of basic brain rhythms. We are examining the ability of a class of G protein-coupled glutamate receptors to control aberrant thalamic rhythms and reduce seizures. We are also examining the regulation of T-type calcium channels. These channels are implicated in a number of clinical disorders involving disruptions of thalamic rhythm, and we are examining alterations of calcium channel gene expression and protein function in a several models of CNS disorders in order to identify useful therapeutic targets. This work is funded by the Citizens United for Research on Epilepsy (CURE) Foundation.

Listen to the Interview by Denise Franklin

Visual Neurophysiology. The brain somehow pieces together a rich representation of the world through a combination of detection of primitive features and integration across a broad range of sensory areas. Feedback influences play an important role in how sensory information is either filtered or enhanced. Using multielectrode arrays, we are probing how the brain organizes this information in a common time base. This work is funded by the National Eye Institute.

Cellular Mechanisms of Ethanol’s Influence on Sleep. Drinking alcohol makes you sleepy, but why this happens is an open question. Ethanol administration disrupts rhythms of sleep that are expressed in subcortical structures, including the thalamus and suprachiasmatic nucleus. We are examining the effect of alcohol on neural integration related to the control and maintenance of sleep rhythms (see http://www.wfucnsa.org/upgod.html). This work is funded through the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

People:

Current Laboratory Personnel

• Dr. Tiffany Huitt - Individual NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow. Interests: Ethanol influences on sleep.
• John Graef - Institutional NRSA Predoctoral Fellow, Neuroscience program. Interests: Modulation of T-type calcium channels by ethanol. 
• Dr. James Hammarback - Research Assistant Professor.  Interests: cytoskeletal proteins, molecular biology of voltage-gated channels.
• Erin Hodgin -  Institutional NRSA predoctoral Fellow.  Neurobiology and Anatomy program. Interests: corticothalamic feedback. 
• David Klorig - Graduate student, Neuroscience Program, Interests: corticothalamic feedback.
• Dr. Hong Qu Shan - Institutional NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow. Interests: Modulation of voltage-gated channels.
• Dr. Jennifer Stapleton - Institutional NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow. Interests: sensory coding, cortical feedback.

Collaborators

• Dr. Qiang Gu - Related Interests: Molecular biology of visual development, using proteomic array technology.
• Dr. David Friedman- Related Interests: Ethanol abuse and sleep.  
• Dr. Ashok Hegde - Related interests:  Calcium channel modulation in olfactory memory.
• Dr. Anita McCauley -  Related interests: Developmental neuroanatomy.
• Dr. Brian McCool -  Related interests: Real-time RT-PCR of T-type calcium channel transcripts.
• Dr. Emilio Salinas -  Related interests: Computational modeling of thalamic networks.
• Dr. Tony Wilson- Related interests: Imaging (magnetoencephalography), epilepsy

Positions:

Our lab participates in two NIH training programs supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral training experiences. One of these is funded through the NIDCD and emphasizes sensory neuroscience, and the other is funded through the NIAAA and emphasizes alcohol effects on the brain. US citizenship or a green card is required for these positions. We have a strong record of research mentoring and training in grant writing, and many current students and postdocs have won awards and have been successful in obtaining their own funding. My students have either gone on to independent faculty positions, into industry or medical school. Wake Forest University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. Send CV and statement of research interests to: Dwayne W. Godwin, Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, or email these to dgodwin@wfubmc.edu.
   

Publications:

Alexander GM, Kurukulasuriya NC, Mu J, Godwin DW (2006) Cortical feedback to the thalamus is selectively enhanced by nitric oxide. Neuroscience. Jul 28; [Epub ahead of print]

Alexander GM, Godwin DW (2006) Metabotropic glutamate receptors as a strategic target for the treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy Res.71(1):1-22.

Nordskog BK, Hammarback JA, Godwin DW (2006) Diurnal gene expression patterns of t-type calcium channels and their modulation by ethanol. Neuroscience 141(3):1365-73

Alexander GM, Godwin DW.(2006)Unique presynaptic and postsynaptic roles of Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors in the modulation of thalamic network activity. Neuroscience 141(1):501-13.  

Alexander GM, Carden WB, Mu J, Kurukulasuriya NC, McCool BA, Nordskog BK, Friedman DP, Daunais JB, Grant KA, Godwin DW.(2006)The native T-type calcium current in relay neurons of the primate thalamus. Neuroscience 141(1):453-61.

Carden WB, Alexander GM, Friedman DP, Daunais JB, Grant KA, Mu J, Godwin DW.(2006)Chronic ethanol drinking reduces native T-type calcium current in the thalamus of nonhuman primates. Brain Res. 1089(1):92-100.

Alexander GM, Fisher TL, Godwin DW.(2006)Differential response dynamics of corticothalamic glutamatergic synapses in the lateral geniculate nucleus and thalamic reticular nucleus. Neuroscience. 2006 137(2):367-72.

Alexander GM, Godwin DW. (2005) Presynaptic inhibition of corticothalamic feedback by metabotropic glutamate receptors. J Neurophysiol. 94 (1):163-75.

Carden WB, Guido W, Godwin DW, Bickford ME (2003) Thalamocortical cells in the cat pulvinar nucleus transiently express nitric oxide synthase during development. Neuroscience Letters 351:87-90.

Mu J,Carden WB, Kurukulasuriya NC, Alexander GM, and Godwin DW (2003) Ethanol influences on native T-type calcium current in thalamic sleep circuitry. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 307:197-204.

McCauley AK, Carden WB, and Godwin DW  (2003)  Brain nitric oxide synthase expression in the developing ferret lateral geniculate nucleus: Analysis of timecourse, localization, and synaptic contacts.  J. Comp. Neurol. 462: 342-354.

McCauley AK, Meyer GA, and Godwin DW  (2002)  Developmental regulation of brain nitric oxide synthase expression in the ferret thalamic reticular nucleus.  Neurosci. Letters 320(3): 151-155.

Moore RJ, Vinsant S, McCauley AK, Kurukulasuriya NC, and Godwin DW  (2001)  Transneuronal retrograde transport of attenuated pseudorabies viruses within central visual pathways.  Visual Neuroscience 18(4): 633-640.

Wang S, Bickford ME, Van Horn SC, Erisir A, Godwin DW, and Sherman SM  (2001)  Synaptic targets of thalamic reticular nucleus terminals in the visual thalamus of the cat.   J. Comp. Neurol. 440(4) 321-341.

Carden WB, Guido W,  Ziburkus J, Datskovskaia A, Godwin DW, and Bickford ME (2000) A novel means of Y cell identification in the developing lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat.  Neurosci. Letters 295: 5-8.

Bickford ME, Ramcharan E, Godwin DW, Eriir A, Gnadt J, Sherman SM  (2000)  Neurotransmitters contained in the subcortical extraretinal inputs to the monkey lateral geniculate nucleus. J. Comp. Neurol. 424: 701-717.

Carden WB, Datskovskaia A, Guido W, Godwin DW, and Bickford ME (2000) Development of the cholinergic, nitrergic and GABAergic innervation of the cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.  J. Comp. Neurol. 418: 65-80.

Reinagel P, Godwin DW, Sherman SM, and Koch C (1999) Encoding of visual information by LGN bursts. J. Neurophysiol., 81: 2558-2569.

Zhelyaskov VR and Godwin DW (1999) A nitric oxide concentration clamp.  Nitric Oxide, 3: 419-425.

Zhelyaskov VR, Godwin DW and Gee K  (1998) Control of NO concentration in solutions of nitrosothiol compounds by light.  Photochem and Photobiol, 67: 282-288.

Bickford ME, Guido W and Godwin DW (1998) Neurofilament proteins in Y cells of the cat lateral geniculate nucleus:  Normal expression and alteration with visual deprivation.  J. Neurosci. 18: 6549-6557.

Zhelyaskov VR and Godwin DW (1998) Photolytic generation of nitric oxide through a porous glass partitioning membrane.  Nitric Oxide, 2(6): 454-459.

Zhou Q, Godwin DW, O'Malley DM and Adams PR (1997) Visualization of calcium influx through channels that shape the burst and tonic firing modes of thalamic relay cells.  J. Neurophysiology 77:2816-2825.

Godwin DW, Che D, O'Malley DM and Zhou Q (1997) Photostimulation with caged neurotransmitters using fiber optic lightguides. J Neuroscience Methods 73: 91-106.

Godwin DW, Van Horn SC, Erisir A, Sesma M, Romano C and Sherman SM (1996) Ultrastructural localization suggests that retinal and cortical inputs access different metabotropic glutamate receptors in the lateral geniculate nucleus. J. Neuroscience, 16: 8181-8192.

Godwin DW, Vaughan JW and Sherman SM (1996) Metabotropic glutamate receptors switch visual response mode of lateral geniculate nucleus cells from burst to tonic. J. Neurophysiology, Volume 76, pages 1800-1816.

Guido W, Lu S-M, Vaughan JW, Godwin DW and Sherman SM (1995) Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of neurons in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus during tonic and burst response mode. Visual Neurosci 12: 723-724.

Godwin DW (1993) A tungsten-in-glass iontophoresis assembly for studying input-output relationships in central neurons. J Neuroscience Methods 49(3): 211-223.

Norton TT, Godwin DW (1992) Inhibitory GABAergic control of visual signals at the lateral geniculate nucleus. Prog Brain Res. 90:193-217.

Holdefer RN, Norton TT and Godwin DW (1989) Effects of bicuculline on signal detectability in lateral geniculate nucleus relay cells. Brain Research 488: 341-347.

Norton TT, Holdefer RN and Godwin DW (1989) Effects of bicuculline on receptive-field center sensitivity of relay cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus. Brain Research 488: 348-352.

Student & Postdoc Achievements

I’m very proud of the many awards won by my students and associates over the years:

 

·    2000, Nuwan Kurukulasuriya, Society for Neuroscience Graduate Travel Award, SFN

·    2000, Nuwan Kurukulasuriya, Western North Carolina SFN Poster contest, 1st place

·    2000, Nuwan Kurukulasuriya, Society for Neurochemistry Travel Award

·    2000, Anita McCauley, Assoc. Neurosci. Depts. & Programs. graduate fellow

·    2000, Anita McCauley, Western North Carolina SFN Poster contest, 1st place

·    2001, Nuwan Kurukulasuriya, Norman Sulkin Award, Dept. Neurobiology and Anatomy.

·    2002, Georgia Alexander, Western North Carolina SFN Poster contest, 1st place

·    2002, Anita McCauley, Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Wake Forest University

·    2003, Georgia Alexander, International travel award - 6th annual IBRO meeting - Prague

·    2003, Tiffany Fisher, NEURON summer course

·    2004, Georgia Alexander, Travel Award to Society for Neuroscience meeting, Fine Science Tools.

·    2004, Tiffany Fisher, 1st place summer tutorial, interdisciplinary program

·    2004, Tiffany Fisher, Ion Channel Summer Course, Cold Spring Harbor Labs (competitive admission)

·    2005, Georgia Alexander, Norman Sulkin Award, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy.

·    2006, Georgia Alexander, Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Wake Forest University

·    2006, John Graef, Travel Award to Society for Neuroscience meeting, Fine Science Tools.

·     2006, Georgia Alexander PhD, Committee for Women in Neuroscience Travel Awardee.

·    2006, Brian K. Nordskog PhD, SFN travel awardee, WNCSFN chapter and national awardee.

 

Trainee independent funding:

·    2004-2006, Georgia Alexander (renewed) Sigma Xi: Grant-in-aid

·    2006-2007, Tiffany Fisher Sigma Xi: Grant-in-aid

 

Trainee independent NIH support:

·    Anita McCauley, Individual National Research Service Award, predoctoral, NIMH

·    Georgia Alexander, Individual National Research Award, predoctoral, NINDS, (.4 percentile)

·    Tiffany Fisher, Society for Neuroscience/NIH Individual National Research Service Award, predoctoral

·    Dr. W. Breckinridge Carden, Individual National Research Award, postdoctoral, NIAAA

·    Dr. Brian K. Nordskog, Individual National Research Service Award, postdoctoral, NIAAA

·    Dr. Tiffany Huitt, Individual National Research Service Award, Postdoctoral, NIAAA