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Faculty Detail     Name MIGUEL MELENDEZ-FERRO PhD   Campus Address SC 865A Zip 0017 Phone 205-996-9375 E-mail melendez@uab.edu Other websites http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ERhgq9wAAAAJ

Faculty Appointment(s) Appointment Type Department Division Rank Primary  Psychiatry   Psych - Behavioral Neurobiology Assistant Professor Secondary  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology Assistant Professor Center  General Clinical Research Center  Comprehensive Neuroscience Center Assistant Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations Neuroscience

Biographical Sketch  -B.Sc., University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Biology), 1995 -M.Sc., University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Cell Biology), 1998 -Ph.D., University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Cell Biology/Neurosciences), 2002 -Postdoctoral Fellow University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), 2002 -Postdoctoral Fellow, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland at Baltimore, 2003-2007 -Postdoctoral Employee, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007-2008

Society Memberships Organization Name Position Held Org Link American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)  Member  http://www.aaas.org  Colexio de Biologos de Galicia (Galician Association of Biologists)  Member  http://www.biologosdegalicia.org  Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN)  Member  http://www.funfaculty.org  Society for Neuroscience (SfN)  Member  http://www.sfn.org

Research/Clinical Interest Title Description -Mapping the pathogenesis of dopaminergic systems in neuropsychiatric disorders: A long running project in the lab is the study of dopamine synthesis anomalies in schizophrenia. Recently we have extended our study to other neuropsychiatric disorders (bipolar disorder and major depression). -Characterization of animal models for the study of striatal pathologies. We are in the process of studying the neurochemical composition and neuronal distribution of the tree shrew (Tupaia glis) striatum with the aim to find a suitable animal model for comparison with human striatum development. The tree shrew striatum shares the basic patterns of the human striatum, with a truly separated caudate and putamen nuclei but little has been done to know the exact neurochemical and neuronal composition of this animal’s basal ganglia. -Adaptation or development of new histological techniques.

Selected Publications  Publication PUBMEDID Gandy JC, Melendez-Ferro M, Bijur GN, Van Leuven F, Roche JK, Lechat B, Devijver H, Demedts D, Perez-Costas E, Roberts RC (2013) Glycogen synthase kinase-3b(GSK3b) expression in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease: A light and electron microscopy study. Synapse. doi: 10.1002/syn.21642. [Epub ahead of print]  23390016  Melendez-Ferro M, Rice MW, Roberts RC, Perez-Costas E (2013) An accurate method for the quantification of cytochrome C oxidase in tissue sections. J Neurosci Methods. doi:pii: S0165-0270(13)00030-7. 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2013.01.010. [Epub ahead of print]  23376420  Melendez-Ferro M, Rice MW, Roberts RC, Perez-Costas E. (2012) Dual use of immunohistochemistry for film densitometry and light microscopy. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 208(1):86-91.  22579877  Perez-Costas E, Melendez-Ferro M, Rice MW, Conley RR, Roberts RC. (2012) Dopamine pathology in schizophrenia: analysis of total and phosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 3:31.  22509170  Rice MW, Roberts RC, Melendez-Ferro M, Perez-Costas E (2011) Neurochemical characterization of the tree shrew dorsal striatum. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 2011;5:53.  21887131  Perez-Costas E, Gandy JC, Melendez-Ferro M, Roberts RC, Bijur GN (2010). Light and electron microscopy study of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta in the mouse brain. PLoS One 5(1):e8911.  20111716  Perez-Costas E, Melendez-Ferro M, Roberts RC (2010) Basal ganglia pathology in schizophrenia: dopamine connections and anomalies. Journal of Neurochemistry, 113(2):287-302.  20089137  Melendez-Ferro M, Perez-Costas E, Roberts RC (2009) A new use for long-term frozen brain tissue: Golgi impregnation. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 176(2):72-7.  18789970  Perez-Costas E, Guidetti P, Melendez-Ferro M, Kelley JJ, Roberts RC (2008) Neuroleptics and animal models: feasibility of oral treatments monitored by plasma levels and receptor occupancy assays. The Journal of Neural Transmission, 115(5):745-53.  18193153  Abalo XM, Villar-Cheda B, Meléndez-Ferro M, Pérez-Costas E, Anadón R, Rodicio MC (2007) Development of the serotonergic system in the central nervous system of the sea lamprey. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, 34 (1-2), 29-46 pubmed  17485194  First Prev   1 2 3 of  3  Next Last

Keywords dopamine, basal ganglia, substantia nigra, schizophrenia, mental disorders, neuroanatomy, neuroanatomical techniques

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