Welcome!
The Vollum Institute is a privately endowed research institute at Oregon Health & Science University dedicated to basic research that will lead to new treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases. Vollum scientists have broad-ranging interests that coalesce around molecular neurobiology and cellular physiology. Their work has transformed the field of neuroscience and, in particular, has provided important advances in the study of synaptic transmission, neuronal development, neurotransmitter transporters, ion channels and the neurobiology of disease.
Learn more about the Vollum's mission
Vollum Seminar Series
Friday Work–In–Progress Talks
The Friday "work-in-progress" (WIP) seminars occur weekly during the academic year and provide an opportunity for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to share their current research projects in an interactive and less formal environment.
Research highlights
The Biology of Glia.
Stevens B, Monk KR, Freeman MR. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2024 Sep 16:a041809. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041809. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39284663
Schwann cell-secreted PGE2 promotes sensory neuron excitability during development.
Kantarci H, Elvira PD, Thottumkara AP, O'Connell EM, Iyer M, Donovan LJ, Dugan MQ, Ambiel N, Granados A, Zeng H, Saw NL, Brosius Lutz A, Sloan SA, Gray EE, Tran KV, Vichare A, Yeh AK, Münch AE, Huber M, Agrawal A, Morri M, Zhong H, Shamloo M, Anderson TA, Tawfik VL, Du Bois J, Zuchero JB. Cell. 2024 Aug 22;187(17):4690-4712.e30. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.033. Epub 2024 Aug 13. PMID: 39142281
Synaptotagmins 3 and 7 mediate the majority of asynchronous release from synapses in the cerebellum and hippocampus.
Weingarten DJ, Shrestha A, Orlin DJ, Le Moing CL, Borchardt LA, Jackman SL. Cell Rep. 2024 Aug 6;43(8):114595. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114595. PMID: 39116209
Structure of the human dopamine transporter and mechanisms of inhibition.
Srivastava DK, Navratna V, Tosh DK, Chinn A, Sk MF, Tajkhorshid E, Jacobson KA, Gouaux E. Nature. 2024 Aug 7. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07739-9. PMID: 39112705
A zebrafish gephyrinb mutant distinguishes synaptic and enzymatic functions of Gephyrin.
Brennan EJ, Monk KR, Li J. Neural Dev. 2024 Jul 27;19(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13064-024-00191-5. PMID: 39068495
Precise in vivo RNA base editing with a wobble-enhanced circular CLUSTER guide RNA.
Reautschnig P, Fruhner C, Wahn N, Wiegand CP, Kragness S, Yung JF, Hofacker DT, Fisk J, Eidelman M, Waffenschmidt N, Feige M, Pfeiffer LS, Schulz AE, Füll Y, Levanon EY, Mandel G, Stafforst T. Nat Biotechnol. 2024 Jul 12. doi: 10.1038/s41587-024-02313-0. PMID: 38997581
Optical Control of TRPV1 Channels In Vitro with Tethered Photopharmacology.
Howe CL, Icka-Araki D, Viray AEG, Garza S, Frank JA. ACS Chem Biol. 2024 Jul 19;19(7):1466-1473. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00052. Epub 2024 Jun 21. PMID: 38904446
The α-crystallin chaperones undergo a quasi-ordered o-aggregation process in response to saturating client interaction.
Miller AP, O'Neill SE, Lampi KJ, Reichow SL. (2024) J Mol Biol. 436(8):168499.
Synaptotagmin-7 counteracts short-term depression during phasic dopamine release.
Lebowitz JJ, Kissiwaa SA, Engeln KA, Bowman AM, Williams JT, Jackman SL. (2024) eNeuro. 11(3):ENEURO.0501-23.2024.
The structure of the Caenorhabditis elegans TMC-2 complex suggests roles of lipid-mediated subunit contacts in mechanosensory transduction.
Clark S, Jeong H, Posert R, Goehring A, Gouaux E. (2024) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 121(8):e2314096121.
Synaptic input and Ca2+ activity in zebrafish oligodendrocyte precursor cells contribute to myelin sheath formation.
Li J, Miramontes TG, Czopka T, Monk KR. (2024) Nat Neurosci. 1038/s41593-023-01553-8.
The Na+ leak channel NALCN controls spontaneous activity and mediates synaptic modulation by α2-adrenergic receptors in auditory neurons.
Ngodup T, Irie T, Elkins SP, Trussell LO. (2024) Elife. 12:RP89520.
Inhibitory CCK+ basket synapse defects in mouse models of dystroglycanopathy.
Jahncke JN, Miller DS, Krush M, Schnell E, Wright KM. (2024) Elife. 12:RP87965.
Astrocyte growth is driven by the Tre1/S1pr1 phospholipid-binding G protein-coupled receptor.
Chen J, Stork T, Kang Y, Nardone KAM, Auer F, Farrell RJ, Jay TR, Heo D, Sheehan A, Paton C, Nagel KI, Schoppik D, Monk KR, Freeman MR. (2024) Neuron. 112(1):93-112.e10.
Prestigious award seeks to advance new avenue of addiction treatment
A chemical biologist at Oregon Health & Science University has become just the second researcher in the institution’s history to receive a prestigious Avenir Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, known as NIDA, of the National Institutes of Health.
James Frank, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemical physiology and biochemistry in the OHSU School of Medicine and the Vollum Institute at OHSU, will use the award to develop new tools to improve understanding of an alternative suite of receptors in the brain believed to be involved in opioid addiction.
Two graduate students named 2024 Lacroute Fellows
Two predoctoral students in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at OHSU were recently awarded the 2024 Lacroute Fellowship.
The Lacroute Fellows Program supports exceptional graduate students conducting innovative research in the Vollum Institute/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program. The one-year fellowships cover $24,000 of the students’ stipend and provide a $1,000 allowance for related academic expenses, such as attending scientific conferences or courses.
Congratulations to the 2024 fellows:
- Adam Coombs, Emery Lab and Monk Lab
- Michéla Mondesir, Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Research Lab and Laboratory of Brain, Hearing, and Behavior
Scientists reveal structure of dopamine transporter
Scientists have revealed the three-dimensional structure of the human dopamine transporter, pinpointing for the first time a novel druggable site that blocks uptake of a neurotransmitter tied to motivation.
The human dopamine transporter, or hDAT, is an important target for pharmaceuticals aimed at treating several neurological disorders, such as ADHD, and is also a target for illicit drugs, including amphetamines and cocaine.
The discovery, published today in the journal Nature, could enable the development of new therapeutic drugs for treating ADHD, depression and addiction.
Neuroscience graduate student Erin Santos earns Gilliam Fellows award
Erin Santos, a graduate student and Ph.D. candidate in the Vollum Institute/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program, is the recipient of a 2024 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or HHMI, Gilliam Fellows Program award. The prestigious award recognizes talented early career scientists in the biomedical sciences.
“I am honored to receive the HHMI Gilliam award,” Santos said. “This fellowship will support my graduate research aiming to uncover how astrocytes regulate neuronal circuit activity and behavior. The award also provides resources to improve the OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program. I am excited about the opportunities this fellowship brings for my development as a scientific leader, and hope it contributes to the betterment of the OHSU research community.”
Vollum/NGP Ph.D. candidates awarded placement in SMDP
Congratulations to Tania Miramontes and Yessica Santana Agreda for their placement in the Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program (SMDP) program.
Tania is a 5th-year neuroscience Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Kelly Monk’s lab, investigating how cannabinoid receptor activation affects myelination development using the zebrafish animal model. Yessica is a 4th year neuroscience Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Kevin Wright's lab. Her research investigates the role of the transcription factor Islet-1 in the development of starburst amacrine cells in the retina, focusing on its effects on neuronal maturation and morphology.
Congratulations to Vollum's Dr. Mao for her promotion!
Congratulations to Tianyi Mao, Ph.D. for her promotion to Senior Scientist/Professor.
Her laboratory is interested in elucidating how brain circuits lead to animal behavior and how these circuits are changed under neurological and neuropsychiatric disease, such as depression, addiction, and Parkinson’s disease.
Frederika Sullivan wins coveted NSF GRFP award
Congratulations to Frederika Sullivan, current 1st year NGP student and on rotation in the Wright lab, for her award and recognition by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The purpose of the NSF GRFP is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. A goal of the program is to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM.
The Vollum also congratulates Mariel Micael, a PREP postbaccalaureate in the Freeman lab, who was awarded an honorable mention. Next, Mariel is headed to UC San Diego’s Neuroscience Graduate Program in the incoming 2024 cohort.
OHSU scientists awarded funding to extend leading-edge research
Recipients of the 2024 Faculty Excellence and Innovation Awards, made possible by the Silver Family Innovation Fund, include Angelica Morales, Ph.D., Arpiar “Arpy” Saunders, Ph.D., and Zheng Xia, Ph.D.
Each recipient receives a total of $750,000 over three years. The innovation fund is designed to buoy the next generation of faculty leaders at OHSU, so awardees are early- or mid-stage investigators of exceptional creativity and promise. This marks the fifth year since the annual awards began in 2020.
More news and accolades
- Frederika Sullivan wins coveted NSF GRFP award
- OHSU neuroscientist earns award to advance schizophrenia research
- Study reveals function of little-understood synapse in the brain
- A roadmap to more equitable graduate school admissions
- Study reveals structure of crucial receptor in brain development, function
Recognition for our early career awardees
Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are usually supported by research grants to individual faculty or by institutional training grants from the NIH. However, a sought-after perk for trainees is to obtain an individual fellowship from federal sources or foundations. Such awards are an honor and also provide important financial support for the trainee and their lab. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Vollum Institute have been remarkably successful in obtaining these awards over the past few years. This is a credit to the quality of the trainees and the support they receive from their mentors. Congratulations to all.
The Lacroute Fellows Program invests in School of Medicine graduate education, by supporting exceptional students performing innovative research in the Vollum/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program.
Congratulations to the 2023 fellows:
- Yessica Santana Agreda, Wright Lab
- Arielle Isakharov, Wright Lab
- Elizabeth Rose, Unni Lab
These 1-year fellowships cover $24,000 of the student’s stipend and provide an allowance of $1,000 for related expenses, such as attending scientific conferences or courses.
Cody Call, Ph.D., Monk Lab
NINDS F32: “Regulation of node of Ranvier formation and maintenance by astrocytes.”
Alejandra Fernandez, Ph.D., Wright Lab
Collins Medical Trust: “The role of Pten signaling in the intrinsic control of somatosensory neuron diversification.”
Kevin Guttenplan, Ph.D., Freeman Lab
Helen Hay Whitney Foundation: “How do astrocytes regulate neuronal circuits?”
Dongeun Heo, Ph.D., Monk/Freeman Labs
NINDS F32: "Investigating the role of diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI) in astrocytes and neural circuit maturation."
Taylor Jay, Ph.D., Freeman Lab
NINDS K99/ROO: "Investigating novel mechanisms that underlie glial-mediated synapse elimination in development and aging."
Yunsik Kang, Ph.D., Freeman Lab
NINDS K99/ROO Pathway to Independence: “How do astrocytes remodel neuronal circuits?”
Alex Nevue, Ph.D., Saunders Lab
BRAIN Initiative/NINDS F32: "Postnatal experience shapes gene expression and connectivity development in the cortex."
Cathy Spangler, Ph.D., Gouaux Lab
NIH Natl Cancer Inst: “Structural and functional characterization of native AMPA receptor complexes in glioblastoma.”
Dennis Weingarten, Ph.D., Jackman Lab
Grass Fellowship at MBL: "Sour patch: Electrophysiological study of synaptic transmission during hypercapnia in the lamprey.”
Landon Bayless-Edwards, Mao Lab
NIDA NRSA F30: "Intracellular signaling mechanisms underlying opioid modulation of pain"
Danica Bojovic, von Gersdorff and Mishra Labs
America Heart Association predoctoral fellowship: "Astrocyte gap junctions modulate neurovascular responses"
Hannah Collins, Monk and Emery Labs
NINDS F31: “Control of CNS Myelination by the E3 Ligase Component Fbxw7”
Rachel de la Torre, Freeman Lab
NINDS F31: “How do glia remodel the nervous system?”
Makayla Freitas, Gouaux Lab
National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship
Alexandra Houser, Baconguis Lab
National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship
Arielle Isakharov, Wright Lab
NEI F31 Predoctoral Fellowship: "Genetic analysis of the Robo3+ glycinergic amacrine cell"
Jennifer Jenks, Emery Lab
National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship
Omar Koita, Williams Lab
NINDS F99: “Mechanistic description of tolerance/withdrawal from opioids in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus.”
Tania Miramontes, Monk Lab
NINDS F31: "Investigating the role of cannabinoid receptors in oligodendrocyte development"
Yessica Santana Agreda, Wright Lab
HHMI Gilliam Fellow: "Transcriptional Control of Starburst Amacrine Cell Specification and Maturation"
Congratulations to all of our graduate researchers in the Vollum/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program who received ARCS Foundation Scholar Awards from the ARCS Oregon Chapter!
First Year: Milana Krush and Jed Syrenne
Second Year: Teva Bracha and Kim Engeln
Third Year: Sweta Adhikary, Amelia Culp, Makayla Freitas and Sierra Smith
Learn more about these scholars and the ARCS Foundation Oregon
Congratulations to the Neuroscience Graduate Program researchers — Ali Pincus, Prashant Rao and Petra Richer — who received 2020 N.L. Tartar Trust Fellowships. The $2,000 grants are awarded annually by the OHSU School of Medicine as a means to support research endeavors and career development. Keep up the great work!