Phone: (412) 648-9518
Fax: (412) 648-1441
Email: rkoerber@pitt.edu

Ph.D., West Virginia University

Research Interests

Research interests in Dr. Koerber's laboratory center on investigations of somatosensory information processing in the spinal dorsal horn. These investigations include examinations of the developing somatosensory system as well as the adult system and its response to injury. In adults, studies examine the reorganization of central connections to compensate for the disorder resulting from peripheral nerve injury and subsequent regeneration. Recent studies in the lab have demonstrated many aspects of this synaptic reorganization including reshaping of cutaneous receptive fields, alterations in synaptic efficacy and the formation of new functional connections between sensory fibers and dorsal horn neurons. These apparently activity dependent changes reestablish many aspects of the somatotopic organization present before the injury. Behavioral experiments are now under way to determine the effect synaptic reorganization has on the recovery of tactile acuity following injury. Specifically, we are comparing the recovery of two point discrimination and localization thresholds with the recovery of somatotopic order in the spinal cord following peripheral nerve regeneration.

Developmental studies examine the organization and plasticity of primary sensory neurons and their projections in the mammalian spinal cord. These studies examine the correlation between specificity and precision in the growth of sensory neuron projections, the maturation of their somal membrane properties, and their neurochemical phenotype. Studies are carried out in several strains of genetically-altered animals to assess the role that specific neurotrophins play in this process. The specific aims of these studies are to determine the major factors controlling the organization of synaptic connections during development and assessing whether the same factors also contribute to synaptic reorganization following injury in adults.

Trainees in Dr. Koeber's laboratory have the opportunity to learn a variety of neurophysiological and neuroanatomical procedures and have the opportunity to use these combined techniques to examine the response of the adult and developing nervous system to injury.

Recent Publications

• Ritter AM, Woodbury CJ, Mirnics K, Davis BM, Albers KA, Koerbr HR: Maturation of cutaneous sensory neurons from normal and NGF overexpressing mice. J Neurophysiol 83: 1722-1732, 2000.
• Woodbury CJ, Ritter AM, Koerber HR: On the problem of lamination in the superficial dorsal horn of mammals: A reappraisal of the substantia gelatinosa in postnatal life. J Comp Neurol 417: 88-102, 2000.
• Koerber HR, Mirnics K, Kavookjian AM, Light AR: Ultrastructural analysis of ectopic synaptic boutons arising from peripherally regenerated primary afferent fibers. J Neurophysiol 81: 1636-1644, 1999.
• Brown PB, Koerber HR, Millecchia RJ: Assembly of the dorsal horn somatotopic map. Somatosens Mot Res 14(2): 93-106, 1997.
• Mirnics K, Koerber HR: Properties of individual embryonic primary afferents and their spinal projections in the rat. J Neurophysiol 78: 1590-1600, 1997.