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David Sulzer, PhD
Professor of Clinical Neurology, Pharmacology and Psychiatry
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry
Education:
» http://sulzerlab.org
Dr. Sulzer's work has made several fundamental contributions to understanding the mechanism of action of dopamine neurons, brain cells of central importance in Parkinson's disease. His research is devoted to understanding the molecular events that control dopamine neurotransmission as well as the neuronal death that underlies Parkinson's disease. His work increased the understanding of the life cycle of synaptic vesicles, small cellular structures that package dopamine for release, and he demonstrated the mechanism by which L-DOPA elevates the release of dopamine. He originated the weak base hypothesis of amphetamine action, which has fundamentally changed the understanding of the mode of action of psychostimulant drugs. Along with Dr. Stephen Rayport, he established techniques that for the first time allow dopamine neurons from postnatal animals to survive and be used experimentally in tissue culture. For his work, Dr. Sulzer received the Young Investigator Award from the National Association for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression. Recently, his laboratory has developed new electrophysiological and electrochemical methods that record the release of dopamine from individual synaptic vesicles in dopamine neurons, enabling important insights into the actions of dopamine receptor agonists.
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© 2004 The Neurological Institute of New York • 710 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032
Department of Neurology | Columbia University Medical Center | Last updated:
August 28, 2009
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