Matthew J. Gdovin
Assistant Professor of Biology

Research Interests

Current research projects will examine the developmental aspects of the neural control of respiration, focusing on central pattern generation and central respiratory chemoreception. An in vitro brainstem preparation of the bullfrog tadpole Rana catesbeiana has been developed in order to describe the cellular and molecular changes that take place in both central pattern generating neurons and central respiratory chemoreceptors during development from aquatic to aerial respiration. Using thin medullary slices that retain spontaneous, respiratory-related rhythmic neural bursting activities, electrophysiological techniques are being applied to investigate the ontogeny of the cellular and biophysical properties of central pattern generating neurons, as well as the network properties of these neurons. Both thin slices and the in vitro brainstem are being employed to characterize the ontogeny of the neurotransmitters involved in respiratory rhythmicity and chemoreception.

Education

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, Division of Life Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1997 to present

Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. John E. Remmers, Department of Medical Physiology, Respiratory Research Group, University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, 1995 to present

Graduate Student, Department of Physiology, Dartmouth College Medical School, 1990 to 1995

Chairman, Joseph J. Gdovin Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1986 to present

Society Memberships

Academic Honors and Awards

Parker B. Francis Foundation Fellowship, 1997

Nominated for the Strohbehn Medal of Honor for Excellence in Research in Biomedical Science, Dartmouth Medical School, 1995

National Research Service Award (5 T32 HL 07449), Department of Public Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1990-1995

F.O.E. Scholarship, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1981

Invited Lectures

The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, Department of Physiology: "The Neural Control of Respiration in Larval Rana catesbeiana: Ontogeny of respiratory rhythm generation and central chemoreception", October 13, 1997

The University of Texas at San Antonio, Division of Life Sciences: "The Evolution of Terrestriality: Neurobiology of the transition from aquatic to aerial respiration", March 10, 1997

Northeast Louisiana University, Department of Pure and Applied Science: "The Ontogeny of Respiratory Control in Rana catesbeiana: Insights into evolution of chemoreception and central pattern generation", May 13, 1996

The University of Texas at San Antonio, Division of Life Sciences: "The Role of the Micturition Reflex in the Control of Respiration", April 17, 1995

The University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine Department of Physiology and Biophysics: "The Effects of Urinary Bladder Afferent Activation in the Control of Breathing", July 18, 1994

 

Research Funding Awarded

University Fellowship, The University of Calgary. $27,600/yr. 1996-97.

Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Fellowship. $31,600/yr. 1997-2000.

Parker B. Francis Fellowship. $108,000. Funding Period 1997-2000.

 

Publications

Journal Articles

Bartlett, D., Jr., Knuth, S.L., and Gdovin, M.J. (1992). Influence of laryngeal CO₂ on respiratory activities of motor nerves to accessory muscles. Respiration Physiology 90: 289-297.

Nattie, E.E., Gdovin, M., Li, A. (1993). Retrotrapezoid nucleus glutamate receptors: control of CO₂-sensitive phrenic and sympathetic output. Journal of Applied Physiology 74 (6):2958-2968.

Henderson, L.P., Gdovin, M.J., Liu, C., Gardner, P.D., and Maue, R.L. (1994). Nerve Growth Factor Increases Nicotinic AcH Receptor Gene Expression and Current Density in Wild Type and Protein Kinase A-Deficient PC12 Cells. Journal of Neuroscience 14 (3): 1153-1163.

Gdovin, M.J., Knuth, S.L., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1994). Respiratory Motor Nerve Activities During Spontaneous Bladder Contractions. Journal of Applied Physiology 77 (3): 1349-1354.

Terndrup, T.E., Knuth, S.L., Gdovin, M.J., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1996) Respiratory Motor Nerve Activities During Experimental Seizures in Cats. The Journal of Applied Physiology 80 (3): 924-930.

Gdovin, M.J., Knuth, S.L., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1997) The contribution of the pneumotaxic and pontine micturition centers in the interaction between micturition and respiration. Respiration Physiology 107:15-25.

Gdovin, M.J., Knuth, S.L., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1997) Influence of lung volume on respiratory responses to spontaneous bladder contractions. Respiration Physiology 107:137-148.

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). The ontogeny of central chemoreception during fictive gill and lung ventilation of an in vitro brainstem preparation of Rana catesbeiana. Journal of Experimental Biology 200:2063-2072.

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., Kogo, N., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). Depth profiles of pH and PO₂ in the in vitro brainstem preparation of tadpole Rana catesbeiana. Respiration Physiology 108:205-213.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). Neuro-respiratory pattern of gill and lung ventilation in the spontaneously breathing tadpole: correlation of neural, muscular, and mechanical events during normoxia and hypoxia. Journal of Neurophysiology (submitted for publication).

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). Fictive gill and lung ventilation in the pre- and post-metamorphic tadpole brainstem. Journal of Neurophysiology (submitted for publication).

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). Identification of sites responsible for gill and lung respiratory rhythmicity in the in vitro brainstem preparation of the tadpole Rana catesbeiana. Journal of Neuroscience (in preparation).

Abstracts Published & Presented at Scientific Meetings

Garcia, W., Bella, P., Mendoza, F., Gdovin, M., and Gallas, J. (1989). Thermal Diffusivity Measurements of Melanin with the Flash Pulse Method. 17^th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Photobiology, July 2-6, Boston, Massachusetts. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 49:21S.

Nash, P., Gallas, J.M. and Gdovin, M. (1990). Effects of pH and Temperature on the Thermal Diffusivity of Melanin. Tenth International Biophysics Congress, July 12-16, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Tenth International Biophysics Congress. p. 487.

Gdovin, M.J., Knuth, S.L., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1994). Respiratory Motor Nerve Activities During Spontaneous Bladder Contractions. Experimental Biology ’94, April 24-28, Anahiem, California. The FASEB Journal 8 (5): A913.

Terndrup, T.E., Knuth, S.L., Gdovin, M.J., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1994). Respiratory Motor Nerve Activities During Fictive Seizures. Experimental Biology ’94, April 24-28, Anahiem, California. The FASEB Journal 8 (5): A910.

Gdovin, M.J., Knuth, S.L., and Bartlett, D. Jr. (1994) Phrenic and Hypoglossal Nerve Responses to Spontaneous Bladder Contractions in Vagally Intact Cats. Society for Neuroscience 24^th Annual Meeting, November 12-17, Miami, Florida. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 20 (1): 304.

Gdovin, M.J., Knuth, S.L., and Bartlett, D., Jr. (1995). The Roles of the Pontine Micturition Center and Pneumotaxic Center in the Effects of Spontaneous Bladder Contrations on Respiration. Experimental Biology ’95, April 9-13, Atlanta, Georgia. The FASEB Journal, 9 (3): A428.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1996) Characterization of gill and lung ventilatory activity of cranial nerves in the spontaneously breathing tadpole Rana catesbeiana. Experimental Biology ’96, April 14-18, Washington, D.C. The FASEB Journal, 10 (3):A642.

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., and Remmers, J.E. (1996). Effects of CO₂ on fictive gill and lung ventilation in an in vitro brainstem preparation in the larval bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. Experimental Biology ’96, April 14-18, Washington, D.C. The FASEB Journal, 10 (3):A642.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1996). Gill and lung ventilatory responses to hypercapnia in the bullfrog tadpole Rana catesbeiana. American Lung Association and American Thoracic Society International Conference, May 10-15, New Orleans, Louisiana. Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 153 (4): A119.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1996) Characterization of gill and lung ventilatory activity of cranial nerves in the spontaneously breathing tadpole Rana catesbeiana. American Physiological Society Conference: Neural Control of Breathing: Molecular to Organismal Perspectives, July 21-25, Madison, Wisconsin. The Physiologist, 39 (3):189.

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., and Remmers, J.E. (1996) Ontogeny of central chemoreception during fictive gill and lung ventilation of an in vitro brainstem preparation of the larval bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. American Physiological Society Conference: Neural Control of Breathing: Molecular to Organismal Perspectives, July 21-25, Madison, Wisconsin. The Physiologist, 39 (3):189.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1996). Identification of separate sites responsible for gill andl lung respiratory rhythmicity in the in vitro brainstem preparation of the bullfrog tadpole, Rana catesbeiana. Society for Neuroscience 26^th Annual Meeting, November 16-21, Washington, D.C. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 22(2):1597.

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., and Remmers, J.E. (1996). Development of central chemoreception in an in vitro brainstem preparation of larval Rana catesbeiana. Society for Neuroscience 26^th Annual Meeting, November 16-21, Washington, D.C. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 22(2):1599.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). Localization of two anatomically separable regions necessary for gill and lung respiratory rhythmicity in the in vitro brainstem preparation of the larval bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. Experimental Biology ’97, April 6-9, New Orleans, Louisiana. FASEB Journal.

Gdovin, M.J., Torgerson, C.S., and Remmers, J.E (1997). Correlation of neural, muscular, and mechanical activity during gill and lung ventilation in the spontaneously breathing tadpole, Rana catesbeiana. Society for Neuroscience 27^th Annual Meeting, October 25-30, New Orleans, Louisiana. (submitted).

Torgerson, C.S., Gdovin, M.J., and Remmers, J.E. (1997). Fictive ventilatory activity in the isolated brainstem preparation of the tadpole, Rana catesbeiana. Society for Neuroscience 27^th Annual Meeting, October 25-30, New Orleans, Louisiana. (submitted).