Research Profile - College of Medicine and Health Science - United ...

Department of Anatomy
Jerry Buzzell’s research has benefited from
cooperation with the Central Veterinary
Research Laboratory in Dubai, and involves
studies on the histology of the third eyelid and
the pleural edge of the dromedary camel. He is
also returning to his parasitological roots by
investigating the surface anatomy of the larval
form of a Habronema muscae, a nematode
parasite of flies and horses.
Safa Shehab studies the reorganisation of the
neuronal circuitry in the dorsal horn of the spinal
cord after peripheral nerve section. His findings
do not support the notion that peripheral nerve
section causes sprouting of either injured or
adjacent uninjured primary afferents in the
dorsal horn. He is currently investigating the
pain pathways that are likely to be critical in
the production of the neuropathic pain. He is
also investigating the role of the basal ganglia
in suppressing epileptic seizures. His recent
findings showed that the subthalamic nucleus
might not have critical role in suppressing tonic
seizure. He is currently investigating whether
high frequency stimulation of the substantia
nigra can produce anticonvulsant effects, using
an animal model of epilepsy.
Dietrich E. Lorke’s main research activities are
in the area of neuroembryology. He studies
developmental changes in the expression of
neurotransmitters (GABA, catecholamines), of
receptors (glycine receptor, nicotinic
acetylcholine receptor, NMDA receptor, estrogen
receptor-related receptor) and of functional
parameters (functional MRI, c-fos) in different
brain regions of rodents and humans. Together
with his collaborators in Hamburg, he
demonstrated that the transcription factor Nkx6.1
is not only required for the early specification of
cranial motoneuron progenitors, but also controls
their migration and axonal pathfinding. This
collaboration also includes the investigation of
altered brain development in mutant mouse
strains, including knock-out mice, and studies
on the reaction to injury in the spinal cord of
mutant mice. His second research interest is
concerned with the blood-brain barrier. In
collaboration with the Department of
Pharmacology, FMHS, he analyses factors
influencing the passage of oximes into the brain.
Oximes are important adjunct therapeutics in
the treatment of organophosphorus poisoning.
Together with his colleagues in Hong Kong, he
Habronema muscae larva
characterises neurotransmitter expression in the
central nervous system of different vertebrates
and studies apoptotic cell death as well as
neurotransmitter changes during aging and in
Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, he is involved in
cooperative clinical research, performing
experimental studies on the development,
imaging and therapy of malignant tumours and
on the morphological basis of injuries of the
musculoskeletal system.
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