Michael W Miller, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Neuroscience and Physiology
BA: 1974, Tufts University
MS: 1976, City College of New York
Ph.D.: 1979, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
Postdoctoral Fellow: 1982, Boston University School of Medicine

3223 Weiskotten Hall
Upstate Medical University
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 464-7729

Research Program and Department Affiliations

Center for Neuropsychiatric Genetics
Biomedical Sciences Program
Neuroscience Program
Physiology Program

Research Interests

Factors that regulate the proliferation, migration, and survival/death of neurons in the developing brain; models of fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Factors that regulate early neuronal development in the developing cerebral cortex (and other structures).

My research runs the gamut from molecular to systems neurobiology. There are a number of lines of research ongoing in my laboratory. Each emphasizes structure-function relationships and is designed with an understanding of the neurobiology of developmental disorders. I would like to mention five.

We are assessing epigenetic/environmental factors affecting neuronal lineages in the cerebral cortices of normal rats. Among the issues being addressed is the relationship of cell proliferation, the ultimate phenotype (i.e., cell class), and the survival of cortical neurons.
We are examining neural stem cells and exploring the effects of growth factors on their proliferative ability and the fate decisions that these cells can make. These include transforming growth factor (TGF) β 1, nerve growth factor, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
Genes are key targets of growth factors. We have been exploring select genes that are key players in neuronal development using knockout mice. These include Foxg1 (important for cell proliferation and migration and under the regulation of TGF β 1) and p53 and bax (regulators of neuronal death).
The above studies of normal development form the foundation for our work on the toxic effects of ethanol on neuronal ontogeny, the interplay of timing and dose on outcome. These studies constitute models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Finally, we are studying the adult cerebral cortex to understand the role played by neurotrophins in normal and pathological situations such as dementia. We are testing the hypothesis that neurotrophins act through local autocrine/paracrine systems and use ethanol as a perturbant to test this hypothesis.

Selected References

Peer-reviewed papers

Siegenthaler, J.A., and M.W. Miller (2005) Transforming growth factor β 1 promotes cell cycle exit through the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in the developing cerebral cortex. J. Neurosci. 21:8627-8636.

Siegenthaler, J.A., and M.W. Miller (2005) Ethanol disrupts cell cycle regulation in developing rat cortex: interaction with transforming growth factor β 1. J. Neurochem. 95:902-912.

Miller, M.W. (2006) Prenatal exposure to ethanol affects the distribution of glutamate and GABA immunoreactivity in somatosensory and motor cortices of the adolescent macaque. Neurosci. 138:97-107.

Miller, M.W., S.M. Mooney, and F.A. Middleton (2006) Transforming growth factor β 1 and ethanol affect transcription of genes for cell adhesion proteins in B104 neuroblastoma cells. J. Neurochem. 97:1182-1190.

Bruns, M.B., and M.W. Miller (2007) Functional nerve growth factor and trkA autocrine/paracrine circuits in adult rat cortex are revealed by episodic ethanol exposure and withdrawal. J. Neurochem. 100:1155-1168.

Bruns, M.B., and M.W. Miller (2007) Neurotrophin ligand-receptor systems in somatosensory cortex of adult rat are affected by repeated episodes of ethanol. Exp. Neurol. in press.

Miller, M.W. (2007) Exposure to ethanol during gastrulation alters somatosensory-motor cortices and the underlying white matter in the macaque. Cereb. Cortex. in press.

Mooney, S.M., and M.W. Miller (2007) Time-specific effects of ethanol exposure on cranial nerve nuclei: gastrulation and neuronogenesis. Exp. Neurol. in press.

Book

Miller, M.W. (2006) Brain Development. Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Oxford Univ. Press, New York.

Chapters

Lindsley, T.A., M.W. Miller, Y. Littner, and C.F. Bearer (2006) Signaling pathways regulating cell motility: a role in ethanol teratogenesis? Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 30:1445-1450.

Miller, M.W. (2006) Ruminations of a Jersey boy: Ferdinand under the cork tree. 2005 Henry L. Rosett Award. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 30:180-184.

Miller, M.W. (2006) Models of neurotoxicity provide unique insight into normal development. In: Miller, M.W. (ed.) Brain Development. Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. pp. 3-6.

Miller, M.W. (2006) Growth factor regulation of cell proliferation is altered by ethanol. In: Miller, M.W. (ed.) Brain Development. Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. pp. 182-198.

Miller, M.W., and M.B. Bruns (2006) Auxiliary proliferative zones in the developing and adult central nervous system: lessons from studies on the effects of ethanol. In: Mammalian Subventricular Zones: Their Roles in Brain Development, Cell Replacement and Disease. S. Levison (ed.) Springer-Verlag, New York. pp. 281-305.

Miller, M.W., M.B. Bruns, and P.L. Hoffman (2006) Extracellular chemical regulations of neuronal survival: effects of ethanol. In: Miller, M.W. (ed.) Brain Development. Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. pp. 245-266.

Miller, M.W., and L.P. Spear (2006) The alcoholism generator. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 30:1466-1469.

Mooney S.M., M.W. Miller, and G.I. Henderson (2006) Intracellular events in ethanol-induced neuronal death. In: Miller, M.W. (ed.) Brain Development. Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. pp. 267-278.

Siegenthaler, J.A., and M.W. Miller (2006) Ethanol alters neuronal migration. In: Miller, M.W. (ed.) Brain Development. Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. pp. 216-229.

Powrozek, T., B.A. Vogt, and M.W. Miller (2007) Dopamine in the mature and developing cingulate cortex. In Vogt, B.A. (ed.) Cingulate Cortex. Birkhauser, Boston. in press.

Lindke,* A., B. Tremper-Wells*, and M.W. Miller (2007) Generation and use of primary rat cultures for studies of the effects of ethanol. In: Nagy, LE. (ed.) Methods in Molecular Medicine.. Humana Press, New York. in press.

This profile was last updated on 10/06/2008

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