Associate Professor, Neurobiology, CNUP University of Pittsburgh Phone: 412-648-9921 Fax: 412-648-1441 Email: gqbi@pitt.edu Lab Website: http://www.neurobio.pitt.edu/faculty/bi.htm

Ph. D., University of California at Berkeley

Research Interests

Research in Dr. Bi’s laboratory aims at addressing these and other related questions at two different levels of organization. At the cellular level, hippocampal and cortical cultures are used to study the modification of identified single synapses by correlated activities, as well as the spread of such modification to neighboring sites. The goal is to characterize a complete set of rules of activity-dependent synaptic modification and to elucidate the underlying cellular mechanisms. At the circuitry level, brain slice and cultures are used to investigate how the cellular rules may influence the activity-dependent development and remodeling of neural circuits. In collaboration with theoreticians, the experimental findings are implemented in neural network models to gain further insights into their functional implications.

Trainees in the laboratory have the opportunity to engage in a variety of projects and are encouraged to combine multiple experimental and analytical approaches. Basic techniques include cell and slice culture, gene transfection, whole-cell patch-clamp recording, real-time live fluorescence imaging, and computer simulation.

Recent Publications

• Bi G-Q, Rubin J: Timing in synaptic plasticity: From detection to integration. Trends Neurosci 28: 222-228, 2005.
• Lau P-M, Bi G-Q: Synaptic mechanisms of persistent reverberatory activity in neuronal networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102: 10333-10338, 2005.
• Rubin, JE, Gerkin RC, Bi G-Q, Chow CC: Calcium time course as a signal for spike-timing-dependent plasticity. J Neurophysiol 93: 2600-2613, 2005.
• Shtrahman M, Yeung C, Bi G-Q, Wu X-L: Probing vesicle dynamics in single hippocampal synapses. Biophys J 89: 3615-3627, 2005.
• Wang HX, Gerkin RC, Nauen DW, Bi G-Q: Coactivation and timing-dependent integration of synaptic potentiation and depression. Nat Neurosci 8: 187-193, 2005.