Dimple H. Bhatt

4th Year Medical Student

Department: School of Medicine

Graduate Program: Neuroscience

Advisor: Dr. Joseph Fetcho

Abstract:

Title:   Identification, disruption and repair of spinal circuits

          A major obstacle to the recovery of function after spinal cord injury is inducing the regeneration of severed spinal axons long after a lesion. Regeneration of spinal neurons in mammals is limited by both a poor environment for growing axons and by the inability of some neurons to regrow axons even when placed in an environment permissive for growth. Recent studies show that cyclic-AMP promotes axonal sprouting of cultured cells in vitro and of sensory neurons in vivo There is, however, no clear evidence that it, or any other compound, can transform a severed, central nervous system neuron into one that can regenerate and restore function. Here we use in vivo imaging in an intact vertebrate to show that cAMP, applied well after the injury, induces robust regeneration of severed central axons through the lesion site. The axons regenerated to lengths that led to the recovery of activity of post synaptic cells. Most remarkably, the regeneration was associated with a dramatic behavioral recovery implying a powerful restorative role for cAMP.

Publications:
(MSTP-supported publications indicated with an *)

*Bhatt, DH, Fetcho, JR, Zottoli, S. (2006). Regeneration in the Adult
 Spinal Cord. Model Organisms In Regeneration. 1:263-288.

*Bhatt, DH, McLean, DL, Hale, ME, Fetcho, JR. (2006). In vivo imaging
 of spinal interneuron recruitment patterns. Neuron. (In press)

*Pogoda, HM, Sternheim, N, Bhatt, DH, Fetcho, JR, Talbot, WS.
(2006). A genetic screen identifies genes essential for axon myelination in zebrafish. Developmental Biology: (In press)

*Fetcho, J.R., and Bhatt, D.H. (2004). Genes and photons: new avenues into the neuronal basis of behavior. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 14:707-14 (Review).

*Bhatt, D.H., Otto, S.J., Depoister, B., and Fetcho, J.R. (2004). Cyclic AMP-induced repair of zebrafish spinal circuits. Science. 305:254-8.

*Ritter, D.A., Bhatt, D.H., and Fetcho, J.R. (2001). In vivo imaging of zebrafish reveals differences in the spinal networks for escape and swimming movements. J. Neurosci. 21:8956-65.

*Fetcho, JR & Bhatt, DH , (2004). Genes and photons: new avenues into the neuronal basis of behavior. Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 146: 707-714.

*Bhatt, DH*, Ritter, DA*, Fetcho JR. (2001). In vivo imaging of zebrafish reveals differences in the spinal networks for escape and swimming movements. J. Neurosci. 1521: 8956-8965.

*Bhatt, DH, Green, BA , (1996). The Molecular Biology of Regeneration in the CNS. Concepts in Neurosurgery: The Molecular Basis of Neurological Disease. 80:111-169.

Presentations:
* Bhatt, DH AMA Annual Meeting. Functional Imaging and Regeneration, in vivo 8/2005

* Bhatt, DH and Fetcho, JR Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation Research Symposium. Functional Regeneration in Zebrafish 10/2003

* Bhatt, DH , New York State MSTP Researchers Competition , Functional Regeneration in Zebrafish 9/2003.

* Bhatt, DH and Fetcho, JR , New York State Spinal Cord Research Awards and Symposium , Functional Regeneration and In vivo imaging 2/2003

* Bhatt, DH and Fetcho, JR New York State Spinal Cord Research Symposium. Circuits and Regeneration in zebrafish 9/2003

* Bhatt, DH and Fetcho, JR Imaging, Genetics and Neurophysiology Course at Woods Hole Marine Biology Labs 7/ 2001, 7/2002

* Stoeppel, CM et al Society for Neuroscience. Integration of neurophysiology, anatomy and behavior with mathematics and statistics 11/2001

* Bhatt, DH and Fetcho, JR In-vivo Neuroimaging Course at Cold Spring Harbor 11/2000

* Bhatt, DH, Hale, ME, Fetcho, JR Society for Neuroscience. Interneurons in the escape circuit 10/2000

Bhatt, DH , Miami Project to Cure Paralysis: Richard P. Bunge Young Neuroscientist Lecture , Serotonin-mediated dedifferentiation 12/1997

Non-Scientific Publications / Accomplishments:
D.H. Bhatt & D.L. McLean , CPG: Bluedog Records , More Math For Us 2005

D.H. Bhatt , Technically Black & Lions Gate , Indian Cold 11/2003

D.H. Bhatt , October Films , Don't Walk 1/2001

D.H. Bhatt , Traffika , Castro Stalker 9/2000 , Volume: 71 , Pages: 89-97