Department of Neuroscience and Physiology
Michael W. Miller, Ph.D,
Professor & Chair
The Department of Neuroscience and Physiology has two primary missions:
- To perform leading edge research
- To deliver first-class educational activities
Now is a very exciting time in our department. With the advent of new imaging and molecular
techniques, scientific doors that were previously closed have been flung wide open. Faculty
in our department are taking advantage of these new approaches in their integrative studies
that range from molecular to systems biology and behavior. Our research focuses on neuroscience,
and particularly on developmental neuroscience. Faculty are investigating:
- Ontogenetic events (e.g., stem cell proliferation, neuronal migration, and synaptogenesis)
- Intracellular signaling (e.g., calcium regulation)
- Extracellular communication (mediated by growth factors and extracellular glycoproteins)
- Sensory and motor systems (e.g., somatosensory cortex, cingulate cortex, and cerebellum)
Our research is always performed with appreciation of a clinical problem in mind. These
problems include:
- Developmental disorders (e.g., attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism,
epilepsy, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia)
- Neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., alcoholism, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases,
and macular degeneration).
Members of our department are highly interactive. On campus, our faculty collaborate
with faculty in other basic science and clinical departments (e.g., Neurology, Neurosurgery,
Ophthalmology, and Psychiatry). We also have formal and informal bridges with institutions,
most notably, Syracuse University and the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center and
have close relations with faculty at Binghamton University, LeMoyne College, and SUNY-
Cortland.
Our department has the dual responsibilities of delivering courses to medical and graduate
students. We teach two primary courses to first year medical students: Neuroscience and
Medical Physiology. We deliver a full curriculum to graduate students interested in two
disciplines: neuroscience and physiology. In addition, we train undergraduates in research
and post-doctoral fellows in research and we provide opportunities for medical and post-graduate
physicians to obtain research experience.
 Photo of "All of Us"We invite you to learn more about us through this website. For additional information
or if you have any questions, please contact us.
Department of Neuroscience and Physiology
3217 Weiskotten Hall
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
Phone: 315 464-4413
FAX: 315 464-7712
neuroscience@upstate.edu
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