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Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

 

Research

We are interested in how movements are controlled by neural circuits. Our everyday movements are performed with little conscious thought and are remarkably precise. Despite what the textbooks tell you, the neural mechanisms by which this is accomplished are poorly understood. We work at several levels, particularly at the spinal cord and cerebellum.

My work involves electrophysiology, recording and analysing the signals neurons use to talk to each other. Most current work relates to the cerebellum, which has a well defined circuitry, and how it contributes to a learning process that  ‘automates’ movements.

Lab members

James Phillips (PhD student)

Jack Curtis (PhD student)

Main collaborators

Stuart Baker (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)

Elzbieta Jankowska (Gotheburg, Sweden)

Sue Jones (Cambridge UK)

Chris Yeo (UCL, London)

Former Lab members

Samit Chakrabarty (leeds UK http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/staff/profile.php?tag=Chakrabarty_S )

Mark Baker (Newcastle UK http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/staff/profile/markbaker.html#publications)

Nick Aggelopoulos (Leibniz Institute Magdeburg http://www.lin-magdeburg.de/en/ifn_mp.jsp?member=naggelop&fc=A)

Wei Xu (Newcastle UK, http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/staff/profile/weixu.html#research)

Publications

Key publications: 
Edgley SA, Williams ER, Baker SN. (2021) Spatial and Temporal Arrangement of Recurrent Inhibition in the Primate Upper Limb.  J Neurosci. 2021 41(7):1443-1454. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1589-20. PMID: 33334866

Fisher KM, Zaaimi B, Edgley SA, Baker SN. (2020) Extensive Cortical Convergence to Primate Reticulospinal Pathways.  J Neurosci. 2021 41(5):1005-1018. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1379-20. PMID: 33268548

Witham CL, Fisher KM, Edgley SA, Baker SN. (2016) Corticospinal Inputs to Primate Motoneurons Innervating the Forelimb from Two Divisions of Primary Motor Cortex and Area 3a.  J Neurosci. 2016 Mar 2;36(9):2605-16. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4055-15.2016. PMID:26937002

Baker SN, Zaaimi B, Fisher KM, Edgley SA, Soteropoulos DS. (2015) Pathways mediating functional recovery. Prog Brain Res. 2015;218:389-412. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2014.12.010. Review. PMID: 25890147

Soteropoulos DS, Edgley SA, Baker SN. (2013) Spinal commissural connections to motoneurons controlling the primate hand and wrist. J Neurosci. 2013 33(23):9614-25. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0269-13.2013.PMID:23739958

Xu W, Jones S, Edgley SA, (2013), Event time representation in cerebellar mossy fibres arising from the lateral reticular nucleus, J Physiol, 591(Pt 4):1045-62

Zaaimi B, Edgley SA, Soteropoulos DS, Baker SN, (2012), Changes in descending motor pathway connectivity after corticospinal tract lesion in macaque monkey, Brain, 135(Pt 7):2277-89

Jankowska E, Edgley SA, (2010), Functional subdivision of feline spinal interneurons in reflex pathways from group Ib and II muscle afferents; an update, Eur J Neurosci, 32(6):881-93

Mostofi A, Holtzman T, Grout AS, Yeo CH, Edgley SA (2010), Electrophysiological localization of eyeblink-related microzones in rabbit cerebellar cortex, J Neurosci, 30(26):8920-34

Riddle CN, Edgley SA, Baker SN, (2009), Direct and indirect connections with upper limb motoneurons from the primate reticulospinal tract, J Neurosci, 29(15):4993-9

Holtzman T, Mostofi A, Phuah CL, Edgley SA, (2006), Cerebellar Golgi cells in the rat receive multimodal convergent peripheral inputs via the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord, J Physiol, 577(Pt 1):69-80

Jankowska E, Edgley SA, Krutki P, Hammar I, (2005), Functional differentiation and organization of feline midlumbar commissural interneurones, J Physiol, 565(Pt 2):645-58

Edgley SA, Jankowska E, Hammar I, (2004), Ipsilateral actions of feline corticospinal tract neurons on limb motoneurons, J Neurosci, 24(36):7804-13

Edgley SA, Eyre JA, Lemon RN, Miller S, (1997), Comparison of activation of corticospinal neurons and spinal motor neurons by magnetic and electrical transcranial stimulation in the lumbosacral cord of the anaesthetized monkey, Brain, 120 (Pt 5):839-53

Edgley SA, Eyre JA, Lemon RN, Miller S, (1990), Excitation of the corticospinal tract by electromagnetic and electrical stimulation of the scalp in the macaque monkey, J Physiol, 425:301-20

Edgley SA, Jankowska E, (1987), An interneuronal relay for group I and II muscle afferents in the midlumbar segments of the cat spinal cord, J Physiol, 389:647-74

Edgley SA, Lidierth M, (1987), The discharges of cerebellar Golgi cells during locomotion in the cat, J Physiol, 392:315-32

Armstrong DM, Edgley SA, (1984), Discharges of Purkinje cells in the paravermal part of the cerebellar anterior lobe during locomotion in the cat, J Physiol, 352:403-24

Teaching and Supervisions

Teaching: 
Deputy Head of Department for Teaching
 
Member Biological Sciences Committee, MVST Committee

MVST Part Ib Neurobiology and Human Behaviour -  Course organiser and Lecturer

MVST Part Ib Neurobiology and Animal Behaviour -  Course organiser and Lecturer

MVST Part Ia Functional Architecture of the Body - Lecturer (nerve degeneration ad regeneration)

MVST Part Ib Head and Neck Anatomy - Lecturer (Cranial nerve function)

MVST Part Ib Neurobiology and Animal/Human Behaviour -  Joint Course organiser and Lecturer (motor systems)

MVST Part Ib Practical and Clinical Neuroanatomy -  Joint Course organiser

NST PDN/Neuroscience  Part II Module 7: Neural circuits and Networks (Cerebellum)

Director of Studies in Preclinical Medicine, St John's College
Tutor, St John's College
Picture of research

Contact Details

01223 333757
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