Gloster Aaron
Chair, Biology
Shanklin Lab Room 211A, 237 Church Street860-685-3197
Associate Professor of Biology
Shanklin Lab Room 211A, 237 Church Street860-685-3197
Associate Professor, Neuroscience and Behavior
Shanklin Lab Room 211A, 237 Church Street860-685-3197
Associate Professor, Integrative Sciences
Shanklin Lab Room 211A, 237 Church Street860-685-3197
BA Oberlin College
PHD University of Pennsylvania
Gloster Aaron
Adult born neurons and the avian song system, zebra finches: Songs serve important functions in many species, and at least one function for zebra finches is the means for the male to attract a female. Male zebra finches learn their song from a tutor, who is typically the father. The process of learning a song is analogous to language learning, where both the strong motivation to mimic, learn and practice produces greater fluency and precision. When juvenile birds reach adulthood, the song they sing appears crystalized, remaining the same for the remainder of their adult lives. Curiously, during their adulthood, there is ongoing neurogenesis in an area of the brain, HVC, that is instrumental in the production of this song. Despite the fact that adult neurogenesis has been well-documented in this area for decades, it is not well known how nor to what extent these new neurons may benefit song production in the adult. Our lab has discovered what we believe to be a new class of adult-born neuron in area HVC. At this time, It appears to be uniquely identified by the expression of the phosphoprotein, DARPP-32, and we believe it may be an excitatory interneuron.
Academic Affiliations
Office Hours
For Fall Semester, 2024: Wednesdays 2 - 4pm
My office: Shanklin 211A
Courses
Fall 2024
BIOL 245 - 01
Cellular Neurophysiology
BIOL 509 - 01
Neuroscience Journal Club I
BIOL 557 - 01
Adv Research Seminars in Bio
Spring 2025
BIOL 339 - 01
Biology and MB&B Symposium II
BIOL 510 - 01
Neurosciences Journal Club II
BIOL 557 - 01
Adv Research Seminars in Bio