Maria L. A. Medalla
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Contact Information
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Research Summary
My work focuses on the organization of corticocortical inputs and outputs of prefrontal areas involved in working memory. My previous work involved visuomotor (FEF, caudal area 46) and auditory-related (areas 10, 32, 9 and 46) prefrontal areas and their long-range connections with posterior parietal (areas 7a and LIP) and auditory (STG) cortices, respectively. I'm generally interested on how these inter-areal connections interface with the local microcircuits in prefrontal cortex, especially with local inhibitory microcircuits. My current work focuses on the global and synaptic organization of intrinsic connections that link distinct, yet functionally overlapping, prefrontal areas - specifically how these different pathways differ in laminar density, distribution, ultrastructural features, and their relationship with different types of inhibitory interneurons.
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Academic Awards, Honors and Achievements
2003 – Present Boston University, graduate research fellow 2001 Phi Sigma Biological Honors Society 2001 Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
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Professional Experience
2002 – Present Pre-Doctoral Fellow/Ph.D. Research, Boston University, Dr. Helen Barbas, Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences |
Education
2002 – Present Doctoral thesis in Neuroscience, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University. Degree expected Spring 2007. Advisor: Helen Barbas, Ph.D. 1997 – 2001 Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of the Philippines, Diliman. Thesis: Urban Biodiversity - Families Acanthaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Araceae, Commelinaceae, Sterculiaceae, and Verbenaceae in the University of the Philippines campus, Diliman, Quezon City.
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Publications
Medalla M, Barbas H (2006) Diversity of laminar connections linking periarcuate and lateral intraparietal areas depends on cortical structure. Eur J Neurosci. 23(1):161-79.
Barbas H, Medalla M, Alade O, Suski J, Zikopoulos B, Lera P (2005) Relationship of prefrontal connections to inhibitory systems in superior temporal areas in the rhesus monkey. Cereb Cortex 15: 1356-1370.
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Published Abstracts
Medalla M and Barbas H (2005) Cortical density predicts complex laminar patterns of prefrontal-intraparietal connections. Neuroscience Abstract 2005.
Medalla M and Barbas H (2004) Laminar organization of connections between posterior lateral prefrontal and lateral intraparietal areas. International Conference on Cognitive and Neural Systems (ICCNS), 2004. Boston, MA. |
