Centre for Integrative Physiology
University of Edinburgh


EH8 9XD - Edinburgh
United Kingdom

+44-(0)131-650 9874

mattnolan@ed.ac.uk

Job opportunities

The major long-term goal of my group is to understand how computations carried out within networks of neurons mediate cognitive processes and guide behaviour. On the one hand we are focusing on the molecular basis for integration of synaptic inputs in the soma and dendrites of neurons. On the other hand we are using knowledge that we obtain at the cellular and molecular level to investigate the roles of synaptic integration in learned behaviours. Our studies primarily focus on motor behaviours that involve the olivo-cerebellar system and spatial behaviours that require the hippocampal formation.  Experiments in the lab take advantage of a combination of molecular, electrophysiological and behavioural approaches.

O’Donnell, C., Nolan, M.F. and Van Rossum, M.C.W. Dendritic spine structural plasticity enables synapses to be both plastic and stable. Journal of Neuroscience (2011), in press.

White, M.D., Milne, R. & Nolan, M.F.  (2011). A molecular toolbox for rapid generation of viral vectors to up- or down-regulate in vivo neuronal gene expression. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 4:8. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2011.00008.

Dodson, P.D., Pastoll, H. & Nolan, M.F. (2011). Dorsal-ventral organization of theta-like activity intrinsic to entorhinal stellate neurons is mediated by differences in stochastic current fluctuations. Journal of Physiology 598, 2993-3008.

Zonta, B.**, Desmazieres, A.**, Rinaldi, A., Tait, S., Sherman, D.L., Nolan, M.F.*³, and Brophy, P.J.*³ (2011). A Critical Role for Neurofascin in Regulating Action Potential Initiation through Maintenance of the Axon Initial Segment. Neuron 69, 945-956.

O’Donnell, C. and Nolan, M.F. (2011). Tuning of synaptic integration: an organizing principle for optimization of neural circuits. Trends in Neurosciences 34, 51-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2010.10.003

Cannon, R.C.**, O’Donnell, C.** & Nolan, M.F. (2010). Stochastic ion channel gating in dendritic neurons: morphology dependence and probabilistic synaptic activation of dendritic spikes. PLoS Computational Biology 6(8): e1000886. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000886

Dudman, J.T., & Nolan, M.F. (2009). Stochastically Gating Ion Channels Enable Patterned Spike Firing through Activity-Dependent Modulation of Spike Probability. PLoS Computational Biology 5(2): e1000290. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000290.

Garden, D.L.F.**, Dodson ^, P.D.**, O’Donnell, C., White, M.D.  & Nolan,  M.F. (2008). Tuning of Synaptic Integration in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex to the Organization of Grid Cell Firing Fields. Neuron 60, 875-889.*²

Nolan, M. F., Dudman, J. T., Dodson, P.D., Santoro, B. (2007). HCN1 Channels Control Resting and Active Integrative Properties of Stellate Cells from Layer II of the Entorhinal Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience 27, 12440-12451.

Nolan, M. F., Malleret, G., Dudman, J. T., Buhl, D. L., Santoro, B., Gibbs, E., Vronskaya, S., Buzsaki, G., Siegelbaum, S. A., Kandel, E. R., and Morozov, A. (2004). A Behavioral Role for Dendritic Integration: HCN1 Channels Constrain Spatial Memory and Plasticity at Inputs to Distal Dendrites of CA1 Pyramidal Neurons. Cell 119, 719-732.*¹

Nolan, M.F., Malleret, G., Dudman, J., Buhl, D., Gibbs, E., Buzsaki, G., Siegelbaum, S., Kandel, E.R., Morozov, A. (2004):A behavioral role for dendritic integration: HCN1 channels constrain spatial memory and plasticity at inputs to distal dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons..Cell.: 119, 719-732

Nolan, M.F., Malleret, G., Lee, K.H., Gibbs, E., Dudman, J., Santoro, B., Yin, D., Thompson, R.F., Siegelbaum, S., Kandel, E.R., Morozov, A. (2003):The hyperpolarization activated channel HCN1 is important for motor learning and neuronal integration by cerebellar Purkinje cells..Cell.: 115, 551-564

van den Top, M.**, Nolan, M.F.**, Lee, K., Richardson, P.J., Buijs, R.M. and Spanswick, D. (2003). Orexins induce increased excitability and synchronization of sympathetic preganglionic neurons.  Journal of Physiology 549, 809 - 821.

Wang, J., Chen, S., Nolan, M. F., Siegelbaum, S. A. (2002):Activity-Dependent Regulation of HCN Pacemaker Channels by Cyclic AMP. Signaling through Dynamic Allosteric Coupling..Neuron: 36, 451-61

Nolan, M.F., Logan, S.D. and Spanswick, D. (1999):). Electrophysiological properties of electrical synapses between rat sympathetic preganglionic neurones in vitro. Journal of Physiology..Journal of Physiology: 519, 753-64

·   Electrophysiology

·   Molecular biology

·   Computational biology