Philpot news

Study suggests L-DOPA therapy for Angelman syndrome may have both benefits and unanticipated effects

Adriana E Tavernise — 2012-11-16T05:00:00Z

Philpot lab publishes cover story in the journal Neuron

Adriana E Tavernise — 2012-10-12T04:00:00Z

October 12, 2012 - Dr. Ben Philpot and postdoctoral fellows Drs. Portia Kunz and Angie Mabb are co-authors on the paper titled "Transsynaptic Signaling by Activity-Dependent Cleavage of Neuroligin-1," which appears as the cover article of the October 18, 2012, issue of Neuron. Co-investigators on the paper include Duke faculty member and CSO of Pfizer Neurosciences, Dr. Michael Ehlers.

Neuroligin-1 dysfunction is implicated in autism, and the Philpot lab has helped identify a new activity-dependent role for the protein.

Angelman mice show impaired inhibition of brain signals

Adriana E Tavernise — 2012-07-03T04:00:00Z

Philpot lab publication in the journal Neuron outlines how brain cell activity imbalance may account for seizure susceptibility in Angelman syndrome

Adriana E Tavernise — 2012-06-06T19:05:00Z

June 2012 - Link to the School of Medicine press release >>

Rylan Larsen and Michael Wallace accepted to Marine Biological Laboratory summer courses

Adriana E Tavernise — 2012-06-01T18:05:00Z

May 2012 - Philpot lab graduate students Rylan Larsen and Michael Wallace will attend Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) courses this summer in Woods Hole, Maine, and each has received a scholarship from the MBL.

In addition to a menu of shorter courses, the Marine Biological Laboratory offers advanced, graduate-level courses in embryology, physiology, neurobiology, microbiology, reproduction, and parasitology for six to eight weeks each summer. Students apply from around the world to attend these renowned courses, termed “discovery” courses. Rylan Larsen is one of just 14 students accepted to the Neurobiology course. Likewise, Michael Wallace will be one of only 20 students in the Neural Systems and Behavior course.

The Neurobiology course is subdivided into four blocks which are broadly titled Genomics, Electrophysiology, Imaging, and Neuronal Cell Biology. Each of the sections is taught by leading investigators in their fields, and students design independent projects based on each of the block topics. A total of 47 faculty are slated to participate in the Neurobiology course.

The MBL awarded Rylan a scholarship of $3400 to cover a portion of the tuition. Rylan’s support also includes funding from his mentor, Ben Philpot, and from the Physiology department.

Michael Wallace will attend the Neural Systems and Behavior course. He explains, “I will be trained in systems and computational neurobiology of several different model organisms while I am there including leech, electric fish, zebrafish and songbirds.” Students and postdocs admitted to this course come from many different universities around the world including Universities of Chile, Buenos Aires, Cambridge, Dublin, and Sao Paulo. Over 30 faculty members will contribute to the course.

Michael has also received a scholarship from MBL that covers most of the cost of tuition ($3500).

Additional information about the Neurobiology course >>

Additional information about the Neural Systems course >>

Philpot and Snider awarded $2 million to study roots of cognitive disabilities

Adriana E Tavernise — 2012-04-19T17:05:00Z

April 2012 - A 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health will provide approximately $2 million in funding to UNC neuroscience director William Snider, MD, professor of neurology and cell and molecular physiology, and Benjamin Philpot, PhD, associate professor of cell and molecular physiology for their research into RAS/MAPK syndromes.

Read the complete School of Medicine news release >>

Potential treatment strategy for Angelman syndrome identified by Philpot, Zylka and Roth

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-12-21T18:20:00Z

December 2011 - An interdisciplinary team of UNC scientists say they have found a way to “awaken” the paternal allele of Ube3a, which could lead to a potential treatment strategy for Angelman syndrome (AS). Their results were published online by the journal Nature. Read the complete UNC School of Medicine news release >>

Simons Foundation Autism Research Institute news release >>

Philpot lab news is top news at Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-12-21T17:47:19Z

December 2011 - Ben Philpot's presentation at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in November is top news at the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). The conference report on recent breakthroughs in work on the Ube3a gene has been extremely popular, according to SFARI, and "right now is the most viewed on the site and moved to #3 top story for the whole year" on the Foundation website.

Read the SFARI conference report >>

Philpot and Zylka receive R01 grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-12-08T19:30:00Z

December 2011 - Faculty members Ben Philpot and Mark Zylka received a dual-PI R01 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to study drugs that regulate expression of Ube3a, a ubiquitin protein ligase that is mutated in Angelman syndrome.

Philpot lab members receive National Research Service Award funding

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-09-16T16:40:00Z


Judson	Wallace

December 2011 - Two members of the Philpot lab have been awarded funding by the NIH. Postdoctoral fellow Matt Judson received a 3-year post-doctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA), and graduate student Michael Wallace received a 2-year pre-doctoral NRSA.

Philpot lab members write commentary for Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) explaining connections between autism, Angelman syndrome and the UBE3A gene

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-07-20T16:30:00Z

July 2011 - Ben Philpot and postdoctoral fellows Angela Mabb and Matthew Judson have written a commentary titled "Insights for autism from Angelman syndrome" for the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) on the function of the UBE3A gene and the connections between autism and Angelman syndrome.

"The word 'autism' has unfortunately entered our common lexicon, but few people have heard of Angelman syndrome, a closely linked disorder that is also accompanied by deficits in cognition and language. Autism is frequently diagnosed in individuals with Angelman syndrome.

Angelman syndrome also shares a common genetic basis with some forms of autism: disruption in the number of copies of the UBE3A gene. Studying the effects of altered UBE3A gene dosage is likely to provide insight into brain defects associated with Angelman syndrome and autism, and to suggest targets for therapies." Read more >>

Joint Zylka and Philpot lab paper is cover article in latest Trends in Neurosciences

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-07-05T15:35:00Z

June 2011 - The labs of Drs. Ben Philpot and Mark Zylka have collaborated on the paper “Angelman syndrome: insights into genomic imprinting and neurodevelopmental phenotypes,” which was selected as the cover article for the June 2011 issue of Trends in Neurosciences. The article presents their recent findings on the expression and function of the UBE3A gene as it relates to Angelman syndrome. First author Angela Mabb is a postdoctoral fellow working in both the Philpot and Zylka labs, and co-authors include Philpot lab postdoc Matthew Judson.

Angela earned her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. She then accepted a postdoctoral position in the lab of Mike Ehlers at Duke University until joining our department earlier this year.

Mabb AM, Judson MC, Zylka MJ, Philpot BD. Angelman syndrome: insights into genomic imprinting and neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Trends Neurosci. 2011 Jun;34(6):293-303.

Larsen and Bortvedt awarded 2011-2012 Fellner Fellowship

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-05-11T14:35:00Z


Bortvedt	Larsen

May 2011 - The Fellner Fellowship Committee is pleased to announce that two students will be Dr. Susan Fellner Physiology Graduate Student Research Fellowship (Fellner Fellowship) recipients this year. The award will fund both Sarah Bortvedt (Lund lab) and Rylan Larsen (Philpot lab) for 2011-2012.

The Fellner Fellowship is a one-year, merit-based award available to Cell & Molecular Physiology Graduate Program students who have passed the thesis proposal at the time of application. In addition to paying stipend, tuition, fees and health insurance, the fellowship provides extra stipend funding of $5000 above the current rate.

We encourage the Physiology Graduate Program students who meet the requirements to submit applications when announcements are made for the next cycle of the Fellner Fellowships, in spring 2012.

McCoy awarded postdoctoral fellowship from Autism Science Foundation

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-03-21T18:25:00Z

March 2011 - Postdoctoral fellow, Portia McCoy, PhD, has been selected to receive a postdoctoral fellowship from the Autism Science Foundation (ASF) for her work with Associate Professor Ben Philpot, PhD, on the project "Ube3a Requirements for Structural Plasticity of Synapses." The ASF awards both pre- and postdoctoral grants "to student/mentor teams conducting research in autism interventions, early diagnosis, biomarkers, and animal models."

Normal brain development includes the strengthening of some connections between neurons (synapses) and the weakening/elimination of others, based on input from sensory experience. Researchers have found that the mutation, duplication or absence of a gene called UBE3A results in Angelman syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders, but the exact process by which this gene affects synapse formation and elimination is not yet defined. Philpot and McCoy seek to describe more clearly the role of UBE3A in synapse formation and function.

Philpot lab publication sheds light on function of NMDA receptors

Adriana E Tavernise — 2011-02-25T19:00:00Z

March 2011 - Researchers in Dr. Ben Philpot's lab have discovered a new role for a class of receptors that underlie learning and memory in the brain. In a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, they found that one type of these receptors – the NR3A subtype of NMDA receptors – is expressed at high levels during formative periods of early brain development, where it promotes the release of brain neurotransmitters and weakens connections between neurons. Since NMDA receptors contribute to a large number of neurological disorders – including schizophrenia, neuropathic pain, Alzheimer's disease, forms of mental retardation, and ischemic injury – the researchers’ findings are of particular importance because they suggest a novel functions for these receptors in the human brain. This work was also highlighted in the Nature Neuroscience's News & View section.