Topic: retinal neurons

In this talk, I will focus on recent work that has uncovered the diversity of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). These are a unique type of retinal ganglion cell that contains the photopigment melanopsin. ipRGCs are the retinal neurons responsible for driving non-imaging forming behaviors and reflexes, such as circadian entrainment and pupil constriction, amongst many others. My lab has recently focused on uncovering the diversity of ipRGCs, their distribution throughout the mammalian retina, and their axon projections in the brain.

John DowlingJohn E. Dowling received his AB and PhD from Harvard University. He taught in the Biology Department at Harvard from 1961 to 1964, first as an Instructor, then as assistant professor. In 1964 he moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he held an appointment as associate professor of Ophthalmology and Biophysics. He returned to Harvard as professor of Biology in 1971, was the Maria Moors Cabot Professor of Natural Sciences from 1971-2001, Harvard College professor from 1999-2004 and is presently the Gordon and Llura Gund Professor of Neurosciences. Dowling was chairman of the Biolo