William N. Ross, Ph.D., was educated as a high energy physicist. When he switched to neuroscience, Dr. Ross worked at Yale Physiology, where he learned optical techniques, and at Harvard Neurobiology, where he really learned neuroscience. These experiences gave Dr. Ross a strong start in his own laboratory. His laboratory was the first to apply voltage sensitive dye imaging to dendrites, to apply calcium imaging to CNS dendrites, and to use sodium imaging to examine neurons in slices. They were the first laboratory to develop high speed CCD imaging synchronized with electrical recording. Most of Dr. Ross' research has used these techniques to examine dendrites, axons, and spines in hippocampal and cortical pyramidal neurons and in Purkinje cells in the brain slice preparation. They were the first laboratory to describe Ca2+ waves in dendrites and the first laboratory to find and analyze spontaneous Ca2+ spark-like events in dendrites. In separate studies, Dr. Ross has used sodium imaging to examine axonal and dendritic properties in Purkinje cells and axonal properties in cortical pyramidal neurons. Most recently, the researchers at the laboratory developed techniques to simultaneously image sodium and calcium changes in very small structures like nodes of Ranvier and dendritic spines.

Education

• Ph.D., Physics, Columbia University
• Postdoctoral Training, Physiology, Yale University
• Postdoctoral Training, Neurobiology, Harvard University

Honors and Awards

• Grass Faculty Fellow, Marine Biological Laboratory, 2007-2008
• Dean’s Distinguished Research Award - NYMC, 1998
• Fogarty Senior International Fellow, 1993-1994
• Fogarty Senior International Fellow, 1984-1985
• Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist, 1981-1985

Publications

• Canepari M, Ross WN. "Spatial and temporal aspects of neuronal calcium and sodium signals measured with low-affinity fluorescent indicators." Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology, 476(1), (2024) 39-48. doi: 10.1007/s00424-023-02865-1
• Miyazaki K, Ross WN. "Fast Synaptically Activated Calcium and Sodium Kinetics in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neuron Dendritic Spines." eNeuro, 9(6), (2022) . pii: ENEURO.0396-22.2022. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0396-22.2022
• Kang BE, Leong LM, Kim Y, et. al. "Mechanism of ArcLight derived GEVIs involves electrostatic interactions that can affect proton wires." Biophysical journal, 120(10), (2021) 1916-1926. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.03.009
• Miyazaki K, Lisman JE, Ross WN, et. al. "Improvements in Simultaneous Sodium and Calcium Imaging." Frontiers in cellular neuroscience, 12(), (2019) 514. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00514
• Miyazaki K, Ross WN. "Sodium Dynamics in Pyramidal Neuron Dendritic Spines: Synaptically Evoked Entry Predominantly through AMPA Receptors and Removal by Diffusion." The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 37(41), (2017) 9964-9976. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1758-17.2017
• Ishibashi M, Gumenchuk I, Miyazaki K, et. al. "Hypocretin/Orexin Peptides Alter Spike Encoding by Serotonergic Dorsal Raphe Neurons through Two Distinct Mechanisms That Increase the Late Afterhyperpolarization." The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 36(39), (2016) 10097-115. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0635-16.2016
• Miyazaki K, Ross WN. "Simultaneous Sodium and Calcium Imaging from Dendrites and Axons." eNeuro, 2(5), (2015) . doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0092-15.2015

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Professional Service

• Member TAP committee
• Chair Alternative Pathways committee