Dr John Power

Fields of research: Cellular Nervous System, Neurosciences, Nervous system and disorders

Contact Details

Phone: +61 2 9385 2910
Email: john.power@unsw.edu.au

Supervision

ILP
PHD
Masters
Honours

Tabs

Main

Dr. John Power is a Senior Lecturer within the Department of Physiology and the Neuroscience Honours Coordinator. He leads Neuroplasticity in Memory and Addiction Group within the Translational Neuroscience Facility. Dr. Power is an expert in the cellular basis of memory formation. His previous research has contributed to our understanding of the biophysical changes that underlie aging and associative learning, the role of the endoplasmic reticulum in neuronal calcium signalling, and amygdala neurophysiology. His group continues to investigate the cellular mechanisms of memory formation using a combination of electrophysiological recordings, live-cell fluorescent calcium imaging and genetic manipulations. The current focus of his research is the identification of novel cellular mechanisms that modulate or preserve neuronal connections that may be translated into treatments for disorders of impaired or aberrant connectivity such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy and addiction.

Student projects for 2016 can be found here.

University role:

Senior Lecturer

Memberships:

Society for Neuroscience - USA

Australasian Neuroscience Society

Groups:

Memory & Plasticity Group

Research

Research Activity Links:

Teaching & Supervision

Supervised Students:

Chanchanok Chaichim

Publications related to this Person

Journal articles

Power JM; Sah P, 2014, 'Dendritic spine heterogeneity and calcium dynamics in basolateral amygdala principal neurons', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 112, pp. 1616 - 1627, http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.00770.2013

Cheng DT; Meintjes EM; Stanton ME; Desmond JE; Pienaar M; Dodge NC; Power JM; Molteno CD; Disterhoft JF; Jacobson JL, 2014, 'Functional MRI of cerebellar activity during eyeblink classical conditioning in children and adults', Human Brain Mapping, vol. 35, pp. 1390 - 1403, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22261

Delaney AJ; Sedlak PL; Autuori E; Power JM; Sah P, 2013, 'Synaptic NMDA receptors in basolateral amygdala principal neurons are triheteromeric proteins: Physiological role of GluN2B subunits', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 109, pp. 1391 - 1402, http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.00176.2012

Delaney AJ; Power JM; Sah P, 2012, 'Ifenprodil reduces excitatory synaptic transmission by blocking presynaptic P/Q type calcium channels', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 107, pp. 1571 - 1575, http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.01066.2011

Kim Y; Wong ACY; Power JM; Tadros SF; Klugmann M; Moorhouse AJ; Bertrand PP; Housley GD, 2012, 'Alternative splicing of the TRPC3 ion channel calmodulin/ IP 3 receptor-binding domain in the hindbrain Enhances cation flux', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 32, pp. 11414 - 11423, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6446-11.2012

Power JM; Bocklisch C; Curby P; Sah P, 2011, 'Location and function of the slow afterhyperpolarization channels in the basolateral amygdala', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 31, pp. 526 - 537, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1045-10.2011

Oh MM; McKay BM; Power JM; Disterhoft JF, 2009, 'Learning-related postburst afterhyperpolarization reduction in CA1 pyramidal neurons is mediated by protein kinase A', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 106, pp. 1620 - 1625, http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0807708106

Faber ESL; Delaney AJ; Power JM; Sedlak PL; Crane JW; Sah P, 2008, 'Modulation of SK channel trafficking by beta adrenoceptors enhances excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in the amygdala', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 28, pp. 10803 - 10813, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1796-08.2008

Cheng DT; Disterhoft JF; Power JM; Ellis DA; Desmond JE, 2008, 'Neural substrates underlying human delay and trace eyeblink conditioning', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 105, pp. 8108 - 8113, http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0800374105

Power JM; Sah P, 2008, 'Competition between calcium-activated K+ channels determines cholinergic action on firing properties of basolateral amygdala projection neurons', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 28, pp. 3209 - 3220, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4310-07.2008

Power JM; Sah P, 2007, 'Distribution of IP3-mediated calcium responses and their role in nuclear signalling in rat basolateral amygdala neurons', Journal of Physiology, vol. 580, pp. 835 - 857, http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.125062

Morley SN; Power JM; Coulson EJ; Bartlett PF, 2007, 'Zinc-mediated neuronal death is dependent on Trk activation', Experimental Neurology, vol. 205, pp. 360 - 366, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2007.02.006

Oh MM; Wu WW; Power JM; Disterhoft JF, 2006, 'Galantamine increases excitability of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons', Neuroscience, vol. 137, pp. 113 - 123, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.08.063

Power JM; Sah P, 2005, 'Intracellular calcium store filling by an L-type calcium current in the basolateral amygdala at subthreshold membrane potentials', Journal of Physiology, vol. 562, pp. 439 - 453, http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2004.076711

Baharvand H; Power JM; Ozsarac N; Matthaei KI, 2004, 'Differentiation of embryonic stem cells into functional neurons in vitro', Neuroscience Research Communications, vol. 35, pp. 130 - 138, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nrc.20027

Sah P; Faber ESL; De Armentia ML; Power J, 2003, 'The amygdaloid complex: Anatomy and physiology', Physiological Reviews, vol. 83, pp. 803 - 834

Knuttinen M-G; Parrish TB; Weiss C; LaBar KS; Gitelman DR; Power JM; Mesulam M-M; Disterhoft JF, 2002, 'Electromyography as a Recording System for Eyeblink Conditioning with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging', NeuroImage, vol. 17, pp. 977 - 987, http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/nimg.2002.1199

Weiss C; Venkatasubramanian PN; Aguado AS; Power JM; Tom BC; Li L; Chen KS; Disterhoft JF; Wyrwicz AM, 2002, 'Impaired eyeblink conditioning and decreased hippocampal volume in PDAPP V717F mice', Neurobiology of Disease, vol. 11, pp. 425 - 433, http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/nbdi.2002.0555

Knuttinen MG; Parrish TB; Weiss C; LaBar KS; Gitelman DR; Power JM; Mesulam MM; Disterhoft JF, 2002, 'Electromyography as a recording system for eyeblink conditioning with functional magnetic resonance imaging', NeuroImage, vol. 17, pp. 977 - 987, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1053-8119(02)91199-7

Power JM; Sah P, 2002, 'Nuclear Calcium Signaling Evoked by Cholinergic Stimulation in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 22, pp. 3454 - 3462

Power JM; Wu WW; Sametsky E; Oh MM; Disterhoft JF, 2002, 'Age-related enhancement of the slow outward calcium-activated potassium current in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in vitro', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 22, pp. 7234 - 7243

Power JM; Oh MM; Disterhoft JF, 2001, 'Metrifonate decreases sIAHP in CA1 pyramidal neurons in vitro', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 85, pp. 319 - 322

Knuttinen MG; Power JM; Preston AR; Disterhoft JF, 2001, 'Awareness in classical differential eyeblink conditioning in young and aging humans', Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 115, pp. 747 - 757, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0735-7044.115.4.747

Geinisman Y; Berry RW; Disterhoft JF; Power JM; Van Der Zee EA, 2001, 'Associative learning elicits the formation of multiple-synapse boutons', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 21, pp. 5568 - 5573

Knuttinen MG; Gamelli AE; Weiss C; Power JM; Disterhoft JF, 2001, 'Age-related effects on eyeblink conditioning in the F344 × BN F1 hybrid rat', Neurobiology of Aging, vol. 22, pp. 1 - 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0197-4580(00)00194-9

Oh MM; Power JM; Thompson LT; Disterhoft JF, 2000, 'Apamin increases excitability of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons', Neuroscience Research Communications, vol. 27, pp. 135 - 142

Oh MM; Power JM; Thompson LT; Disterhoft JF, 2000, 'Caution against using propylene glycol as a solvent in epilepsy drug research', Neuroscience Research Communications, vol. 27, pp. 117 - 124, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1520-6769(200009/10)27:2<117::AID-NRC5>3.0.CO;2-Z

Geinisman Y; Disterhoft JF; Gundersen HJG; Mcechron MD; Persina IS; Power JM; Van Der Zee EA; West MJ, 2000, 'Remodeling of hippocampal synapses after hippocampus-dependent associative learning', Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 417, pp. 49 - 59, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-9861(20000131)417:1<49::AID-CNE4>3.0.CO;2-3

Moyer JR; Power JM; Thompson LT; Disterhoft JF, 2000, 'Increased excitability of aged rabbit CA1 neurons after trace eyeblink conditioning', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 20, pp. 5476 - 5482

Disterhoft JF; Kronforst-Collins M; Oh MM; Power JM; Preston AR; Weiss C, 1999, 'Cholinergic facilitation of trace eyeblink conditioning in aging rabbits', Life Sciences, vol. 64, pp. 541 - 548, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0024-3205(98)00599-2

Weiss C; Knuttinen MG; Power JM; Patel RI; O'Connor MS; Disterhoft JF, 1999, 'Trace eyeblink conditioning in the freely moving rat: Optimizing the conditioning parameters', Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 113, pp. 1100 - 1105, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0735-7044.113.5.1100

Oh MM; Power JM; Thompson LT; Moriearty PL; Disterhoft JF, 1999, 'Metrifonate increases neuronal excitability in CA1 pyramidal neurons from both young and aging rabbit hippocampus', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 19, pp. 1814 - 1823

Weiss C; Bouwmeester H; Power JM; Disterhoft JF, 1999, 'Hippocampal lesions prevent trace eyeblink conditioning in the freely moving rat', Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 99, pp. 123 - 132, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0166-4328(98)00096-5

Power JM; Thompson LT; Moyer JR; Disterhoft JF, 1997, 'Enhanced synaptic transmission in CA1 hippocampus after eyeblink conditioning', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 78, pp. 1184 - 1187

Power J; Ringo J; Dowse H, 1995, 'The role of light in the initiation of circadian activity rhythms of adult drosophila melanogaster', Journal of Neurogenetics, vol. 9, pp. 227 - 238, http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01677069509084159

Dowse H; Ringo J; Power J; Kinney K; White L, 1995, 'A congenital heart defect in drosophila caused by an action-potential mutation', Journal of Neurogenetics, vol. 10, pp. 153 - 168, http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01677069509083461

Power JM; Ringo JM; Dowse HB, 1995, 'The Effects of Period Mutations and Light on the Activity Rhythms of Drosophila melanogaster', Journal of Biological Rhythms, vol. 10, pp. 267 - 280, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/074873049501000309

Conference Papers

Disterhoft JF; Thompson LT; Weiss C; Moyer JR; Van der Zee E; Carrillo M; Kronforst-Collins M; Power J, 1995, 'The calcium hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease: Insights from animal and human studies', in Neuroscience Research Communications, pp. 121 - 131

Patents

Housley GD; Kim YS; Bertrand PP; Moorhouse AJ; Wong AC; Craig A; Power J; Klugmann M; Krishnan AV; Morris R, 2012, Methods for inhibiting neuron apoptosis and necrosis” (filed by New South Innovations – (UNSW) – Au Provisional Patent Application No. 2012902920, 6 July 2012)., AUSTRALIA, 2012, Patent No. 2012902920, Patent Agent:, status:%20Applied%20for%20(Provisional)%20Registered%20in%20names%20of%20(Inventors)