Hilary B. Gerstein

Research Project:

My research interests focus on using rodent models to explore how cellular and molecular changes in the brain relate to behavior. I have done past work with transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and also studied the effect of pharmacological manipulations on maternal behaviors and histology in mice. In my current project with Corinna Burger, I am studying the function of certain genes expressed in the hippocampus that have previously been implicated in learning and memory. In the Burger Lab, we use recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) as a gene delivery system to overexpress or knock-down function of these candidate genes in specific regions of the brain. The resulting phenotypes are characterized with a variety of behavioral tests and anatomical techniques. Using this methodology, I will examine the functional role of several candidate genes in learning and memory from both a behavioral and molecular standpoint.

Abstracts and Publications:

Scearce-Levie, K., E.D. Roberson, H. Gerstein, J.A. Cholfin, V.S. Mandiyan, N.M. Shah, J.L.R. Rubenstein and L. Mucke. 2008. Abnormal social behaviors in mice lacking Fgf17. Genes, Brain and Behav. 7(3): 344-354.
Cheng, I.H., K. Scearce-Levie, J. Legleiter, J.J. Palop, H. Gerstein, N. Bien-Ly, J. Puoliväli, S. Lesné, K.H. Ashe, P.J. Muchowski, and L. Mucke. 2007. Accelerating amyloid-beta fibrillization reduces oligomer levels and functional deficits in alzheimer disease mouse models. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 23818-23828 [PDF]
Roberson, E.D., K. Scearce-Levie, F. Yan, T. Wu, H.B. Gerstein, G-Q Yu, and L. Mucke. 2007. Reduction of endogenous tau prevents Aß-induced deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease. Science 316: 750-754..
Chin, J., J.J. Palop, J. Puolivali, C. Massaro, N. Bien-Ly, H.B. Gerstein, K. Scearce-Levie, E. Masliah and L. Mucke. 2005. Fyn kinase induces synaptic and cognitive impairments in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Neurosci. 25: 9694-9703. [PDF]
Simmons, A.M., L.M. Costa, and H.B. Gerstein. 2004. Lateral line-mediated rheotactic behavior in tadpoles of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). J. Comp. Physiol. A. 190: 747–758. [PDF]


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Hilary B. Gerstein E-mail: hgerstein@wisc.edu Research Project: My research interests focus on using rodent models to explore how cellular and molecular changes in the brain relate to behavior. I have done past work with transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and also studied the effect of pharmacological manipulations on maternal behaviors and histology in mice. In my current project with Corinna Burger, I am studying the function of certain genes expressed in the hippocampus that have previously been implicated in learning and memory. In the Burger Lab, we use recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) as a gene delivery system to overexpress or knock-down function of these candidate genes in specific regions of the brain. The resulting phenotypes are characterized with a variety of behavioral tests and anatomical techniques. Using this methodology, I will examine the functional role of several candidate genes in learning and memory from both a behavioral and molecular standpoint. Abstracts and Publications: Scearce-Levie, K., E.D. Roberson, H. Gerstein, J.A. Cholfin, V.S. Mandiyan, N.M. Shah, J.L.R. Rubenstein and L. Mucke. 2008. Abnormal social behaviors in mice lacking Fgf17. Genes, Brain and Behav. 7(3): 344-354. Cheng, I.H., K. Scearce-Levie, J. Legleiter, J.J. Palop, H. Gerstein, N. Bien-Ly, J. Puoliväli, S. Lesné, K.H. Ashe, P.J. Muchowski, and L. Mucke. 2007. Accelerating amyloid-beta fibrillization reduces oligomer levels and functional deficits in alzheimer disease mouse models. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 23818-23828 [PDF] Roberson, E.D., K. Scearce-Levie, F. Yan, T. Wu, H.B. Gerstein, G-Q Yu, and L. Mucke. 2007. Reduction of endogenous tau prevents Aß-induced deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease. Science 316: 750-754.. Chin, J., J.J. Palop, J. Puolivali, C. Massaro, N. Bien-Ly, H.B. Gerstein, K. Scearce-Levie, E. Masliah and L. Mucke. 2005. Fyn kinase induces synaptic and cognitive impairments in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease. J. Neurosci. 25: 9694-9703. [PDF] Simmons, A.M., L.M. Costa, and H.B. Gerstein. 2004. Lateral line-mediated rheotactic behavior in tadpoles of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). J. Comp. Physiol. A. 190: 747–758. [PDF]

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