My lab takes an integrative approach to studying the development of specific neuronal connections in the vertebrate central nervous system. We focus our research efforts on how patterns of neuronal activity and of molecular cues that occur during development cause the precise connectivity between neurons that is found in the adult brain. We use a number of different anatomical and physiological techniques to answer this basic developmental question. We hope that this inquiry-driven approach will provide data useful for formulating generalized rules of development in the nervous system.

Our studies of the ferret visual system focus on the question of how the functional architecture of the lateral geniculate nucleus and the visual cortex develop. We use pharmacological and molecular methods to alter patterns of neuronal activity and molecular cues in the developing visual system, and use single-unit electrophysiological recordings, optical imaging of intrinsic signals and neuroanatomical tracing methods to assess the physiological and anatomical changes that occur during normal and abnormal development.

Teaching Interests:
Neuroscience.

Courses Taught:
NPB 100 Neurobiology - Term(s): Spring
NSC 284 Sensory Development - Term(s): Winter,Spring
NSC 224B Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology - Term(s): Spring
NSC 220 Neuroanatomy - Term(s): Fall

Publications:

Chapman, B. 2000. Necessity for afferent activity to maintain eye-specific segregation in the ferret lateral geniculate nucleus.. Science . 287:2479-2482

Chapman, B. and I. Godecke. 2000. Cortical cell orientation selectivity fails to develop in the absence of on-center retinal ganglion cell activity. Journal of Neuroscience . 20:1922-1930

Chapman, B. and I. Godecke 2002 No ON/OFF maps in supragranular layers of ferret visual cortex Journal of Neurophysiology.

Huberman, A.D., Stellwagen, D. and B. Chapman. 2002. Decoupling eye-specific segregation from lamination in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Journal of Neuroscience.

Usrey, W.M., Sceniak, M.P., and Chapman, B. (2003) Receptive fields and response properties of neurons in layer 4 of ferret visual cortex J. Neurophysiol. 89:1003-1015.

Huberman, A.D., Wang, G.-Y., Liets, L.C., Collins, O.A., Chapman, B. and Chalupa, L.M. (2003) Eye-specific retinogeniculate segregation independent of normal neuronal activity. Science 300:994-998.

Huberman, A.D., Murray, K.D., Warland, D.K., Feldheim, D.A., and Chapman, B. (2005) Ephrin-As mediate targeting of eye-specific projections to the lateral geniculate nucleus. Nature Neuroscience, 8(8); 1013-1021.

Bjartmar, L., A.D. Huberman, E.M. Ullian, R.C. Rentaria, X. Liu, W. Xu, J. Prezioso, M.W. Susman, D. Stellwagen, C.C. Stokes, R. Cho, P. Worley, R.C. Malenka, S. Ball, N.S. Peachey, D. Copenhagen, B. Chapman, M. Nakamoto, B.A. Barres, M. S. Perin (2006). Neuronal pentraxins mediate synaptic refinement in the developing visual system. J. Neuroscience 26(23):6269-6281. PMCID: PMC2579897

Huberman, A.D., C.M. Speer and B. Chapman (2006). Spontaneous retinal activity mediates development of ocular dominance columns and binocular receptive fields in V1. Neuron. 52(2):247-54. NIHMSID:83819

Speer, C.M. and B. Chapman (2007) Grading the thalamus: how can an ‘Eph’ be excellent? Thalamus & Related Systems, Volume 3, Issue 03, September 2005, pp 235-244 doi: 10.1017/S1472928807000234, Published online by Cambridge University Press 13 Mar 2007 PMCID: PMC2600440

Huberman, A.D., M. B. Feller, and B. Chapman (2008). Mechanisms underlying development of visual maps and receptive fields. Annual Rev. Neurosci. 31:479-509. NIHMSID:80268

Sun, C., C.M. Speer, G.-Y. Wang, B. Chapman and L.M. Chalupa (2008). Epibatidine application in vitro blocks retinal waves without silencing all retinal ganglion cell action potentials in developing retina of the mouse and ferret. J Neurophysiol., 100(6):3253-63. NIHMSID:80267