Sandra Kuhlman
Sandra Kuhlman
Associate Professor
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Biomedical Engineering; Circadian Rhythm/Chronobiology; Computational Biology; Imaging In Vivo; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Neuroscience; Schizophrenia; Vision science
Professional Summary:
Our work focuses on understanding how early life experience informs the construction of sensory circuits that are ultimately used to guide appropriate behavior and learning. The goal is to leverage this knowledge to design more effective treatments for cognitive and perceptual dysfunction associated with maladaptive plasticity.
Our research falls into 3 broad categories, geared to address the following questions:
Learning and memory: how do neural circuits integrate new information while maintaining stable perception and existing behavioral skill sets? Our recent work established that cortical networks are inherently robust to perturbations associated with experience-dependent plasticity. We are currently dissecting the circuit basis for this observed robustness, a robustness that is critical for lifelong learning.
Metabolic homeostasis: how do the metabolic needs of the organism influence perception? To address this, we examine the impact of satiation state as well as jet-lag on sensory-related anticipatory signals.
Cellular energy balance: how do neurons regulate energy usage during intense mental training? During periods of high neuronal activity, there are competing cellular processes that must occur for a neuron to express synaptic plasticity and remain healthy. We are examining the mechanisms that regulate the temporal kinetics of AMPA receptor trafficking and mitochondrial dynamics using brain-computer interface technology. Our novel technology allows us to monitor subcellular dynamics in the specific neurons directly undergoing training, in-vivo.
To answer our research questions, we employ state-of-the-art microscopy in awake mice in combination with sophisticated behavioral paradigms. Relevant pathophysiological conditions being investigated include: amblyopia, epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia, and sleep-related disorders.
Education and Training:
- PhD, Physiology, University of Kentucky (2001)
- MS, Biology, Northeastern University (1996)
- Certificate, Secondary Education, Gettysburg College (1994)
- BS, Biology, Gettysburg College (1993)
Employment:
- Associate Professor, Physiology and Biophysics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2023-present)
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh (2014-present)
- Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University (2018–2023)
- Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University (2012–2018)
- Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurobiology, UCLA (2009–2012)
- Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurobiology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (2001–2009)
Awards and Honors:
- Eberly Family Career Development Endowed Chair, Carnegie Mellon University (2019)
- HHMI Visiting Scientist, Janelia Research Campus (2009)
- NARSAD Young Investigator (2006)
- Grass Fellowship (2003)
- NIH National Research Service Award F32 individual postdoctoral fellowship (2002)
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- September 2023–June 2027
Development and plasticity of stimulus processing in the visual cortex
National Eye Institute
Role: Principal Investigator
Journal Articles:
- Koh TH, Bishop WE, Kawashima T, Jeon BB, Srinivasan R, Mu Y, Wei Z, Kuhlman SJ, Ahrens MB, Chase SM, Yu BM. (2023) Dimensionality reduction of calcium-imaged neuronal population activity. Nature computational science (Jan), 3(1): 71-85. doi:10.1038/s43588-022-00390-2
- Jeon BB, Fuchs T, Chase SM, Kuhlman SJ. (2022) Visual experience has opposing influences on the quality of stimulus representation in adult primary visual cortex. eLife (Nov), 11. doi:10.7554/eLife.80361
- Jeon BB, Fuchs T, Chase SM, Kuhlman SJ. (2022) Existing function in primary visual cortex is not perturbed by new skill acquisition of a non-matched sensory task. Nature communications (Jun), 13(1): 3638. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31440-y
- Kowalewski NN, Kauttonen J, Stan PL, Jeon BB, Fuchs T, Chase SM, Lee TS, Kuhlman SJ. (2021) Development of Natural Scene Representation in Primary Visual Cortex Requires Early Postnatal Experience. Current biology : CB (Jan), 31(2): 369-380.e5.
- Jeon BB, Swain AD, Good JT, Chase SM, Kuhlman SJ. (2018) Feature selectivity is stable in primary visual cortex across a range of spatial frequencies. Scientific reports (Oct), 8(1): 15288. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-33633-2
- Kuhlman SJ, Craig LM, Duffy JF. (2018) Introduction to Chronobiology. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology (Sep), 10(9). doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a033613
- Feese BD, Pafundo DE, Schmehl MN, Kuhlman SJ. (2018) Binocular deprivation induces both age-dependent and age-independent forms of plasticity in parvalbumin inhibitory neuron visual response properties. Journal of neurophysiology (Feb), 119(2): 738-751. doi:10.1152/jn.00386.2017
- Samonds JM, Feese BD, Lee TS, Kuhlman SJ. (2017) Nonuniform surround suppression of visual responses in mouse V1. Journal of neurophysiology (Dec), 118(6): 3282-3292. doi:10.1152/jn.00172.2017
- Jeon BB, Kuhlman SJ. (2017) The underdog pathway gets a boost. Nature neuroscience (Dec), 20(12): 1655-1656.
- Pafundo DE, Nicholas MA, Zhang R, Kuhlman SJ. (2016) Top-Down-Mediated Facilitation in the Visual Cortex Is Gated by Subcortical Neuromodulation. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (Mar), 36(10): 2904-14. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2909-15.2016
- Kuhlman SJ, O'Connor DH, Fox K, Svoboda K. (2014) Structural plasticity within the barrel cortex during initial phases of whisker-dependent learning. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (Apr), 34(17): 6078-83. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4919-12.2014
- Huang ZJ, Taniguchi H, He M, Kuhlman S. (2014) Cre-dependent adeno-associated virus preparation and delivery for labeling neurons in the mouse brain. Cold Spring Harbor protocols (Feb), 2014(2): 190-4.
- Huang ZJ, Taniguchi H, He M, Kuhlman S. (2014) Genetic labeling of neurons in mouse brain. Cold Spring Harbor protocols (Feb), 2014(2): 150-60.
- Barth AL, Kuhlman SJ. (2013) The many layers of specification and plasticity in the neocortex. Neuron (Sep), 79(5): 829-31.
- Kuhlman SJ, Olivas ND, Tring E, Ikrar T, Xu X, Trachtenberg JT. (2013) A disinhibitory microcircuit initiates critical-period plasticity in the visual cortex. Nature (Sep), 501(7468): 543-6. doi:10.1038/nature12485
- Kuhlman SJ, Tring E, Trachtenberg JT. (2011) Fast-spiking interneurons have an initial orientation bias that is lost with vision. Nature neuroscience (Jul), 14(9): 1121-3. doi:10.1038/nn.2890
- Runyan CA, Schummers J, Van Wart A, Kuhlman SJ, Wilson NR, Huang ZJ, Sur M. (2010) Response features of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons suggest precise roles for subtypes of inhibition in visual cortex. Neuron (Sep), 67(5): 847-57. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.006
- Kuhlman SJ, Lu J, Lazarus MS, Huang ZJ. (2010) Maturation of GABAergic inhibition promotes strengthening of temporally coherent inputs among convergent pathways. PLoS computational biology (Jun), 6(6): e1000797. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000797
- Kuhlman SJ, Huang ZJ. (2008) High-resolution labeling and functional manipulation of specific neuron types in mouse brain by Cre-activated viral gene expression. PloS one (Apr), 3(4): e2005. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002005
- Di Cristo G, Chattopadhyaya B, Kuhlman SJ, Fu Y, Bélanger MC, Wu CZ, Rutishauser U, Maffei L, Huang ZJ. (2007) Activity-dependent PSA expression regulates inhibitory maturation and onset of critical period plasticity. Nature neuroscience (Dec), 10(12): 1569-77.
- Chattopadhyaya B, Di Cristo G, Wu CZ, Knott G, Kuhlman S, Fu Y, Palmiter RD, Huang ZJ. (2007) GAD67-mediated GABA synthesis and signaling regulate inhibitory synaptic innervation in the visual cortex. Neuron (Jun), 54(6): 889-903. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2007.05.015
- Kuhlman SJ, McMahon DG. (2006) Encoding the ins and outs of circadian pacemaking. Journal of biological rhythms (Dec), 21(6): 470-81.
- Chattopadhyaya B, Di Cristo G, Higashiyama H, Knott GW, Kuhlman SJ, Welker E, Huang ZJ. (2004) Experience and activity-dependent maturation of perisomatic GABAergic innervation in primary visual cortex during a postnatal critical period. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (Oct), 24(43): 9598-611. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1851-04.2004
- Kuhlman SJ, McMahon DG. (2004) Rhythmic regulation of membrane potential and potassium current persists in SCN neurons in the absence of environmental input. The European journal of neuroscience (Aug), 20(4): 1113-7.
- Quintero JE, Kuhlman SJ, McMahon DG. (2003) The biological clock nucleus: a multiphasic oscillator network regulated by light. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (Sep), 23(22): 8070-6. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-22-08070.2003
- Kuhlman SJ, Silver R, Le Sauter J, Bult-Ito A, McMahon DG. (2003) Phase resetting light pulses induce Per1 and persistent spike activity in a subpopulation of biological clock neurons. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (Feb), 23(4): 1441-50. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-04-01441.2003
- LeSauter J, Yan L, Vishnubhotla B, Quintero JE, Kuhlman SJ, McMahon DG, Silver R. (2003) A short half-life GFP mouse model for analysis of suprachiasmatic nucleus organization. Brain research (Feb), 964(2): 279-87. doi:10.1016/s0006-8993(02)04084-2
- Kuhlman SJ, Quintero JE, McMahon DG. (2000) GFP fluorescence reports Period 1 circadian gene regulation in the mammalian biological clock. Neuroreport (May), 11(7): 1479-82.
- Morris ME, Viswanathan N, Kuhlman S, Davis FC, Weitz CJ. (1998) A screen for genes induced in the suprachiasmatic nucleus by light. Science (New York, N.Y.) (Mar), 279(5356): 1544-7.
- Siviy SM, Fleischhauer AE, Kerrigan LA, Kuhlman SJ. (1996) D2 dopamine receptor involvement in the rough-and-tumble play behavior of juvenile rats. Behavioral neuroscience (Oct), 110(5): 1168-76.
- Siviy SM, Fleischhauer AE, Kuhlman SJ, Atrens DM. (1994) Effects of alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonists on rough-and-tumble play in juvenile rats: evidence for a site of action independent of non-adrenoceptor imidazoline binding sites. Psychopharmacology (Jan), 113(3-4): 493-9.
Professional Memberships:
- Society for Neuroscience Member (2000–present)
Presentations:
- "Delayed maturation of somatostatin-mediated inhibition may facilitate life-long learning" Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI (2024)
- "Neural correlates of learning and memory" Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, PA (2024)
- "Development and plasticity of the visual system" Winter Conference on Brain Research (2024)
- "Impact of brain computer interface (BCI) training on representational drift in an intact neural system" Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo (2023)
- "Improving perception in complex environments" 15th Annual Neuroscience Research Day, University at Buffalo (2023)
- "Representational rebound in visual cortex following dark exposure" Causes and Implications of Representational Drift Meeting, Janelia Research Campus (2023)
- "Learning to see complexity" VisioNYC organized by Tony Movshon, Carol Mason, Jonathan Victor, and Qasim Zaidi (2023)
- "Perception to action: processing sensory signals in complex environments" Winter Conference on Brain Research (2023)
- "Development of complex scene processing continues past the classic critical period" Optica Fall Vision Meeting (2022)
- "Learning to see and other mechanisms for acquiring behavioral independence in complex environments" Departments of Neurobiology and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh (2022)
Service Activities:
- Annual departmental picnic co-chair (2024–present)
- Regional. Solar Eclipse ‘Fun Facts’ video with Colin Marchincin, student president of the Ophthalmology club, in conjunction with Ellen Goldbaum, Senor Medical Editor at UB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPfj-8CrPy8; Organizer. (2024)
- Curriculum Development Committee (2023–present)
- National. Human Factors In Flight essay writing platform. In partnership with the Berlin Airlift Foundation, we developed a companion website for our museum display. The public is invited to write short articles on various topics. Starting materials and guidance is provided. Example topic: We got frostbite before we passed out. How did Coxwell and Glaisher’s bodies respond when their balloon went as high as an airliner in 1862? https://sites.google.com/view/biologicalclocksinflight/home; Primary organizer. (2023–present)
- Graduate affairs committee member (2023–present)
- IACUC Review Committee (2023–present)
- National. Our modern understanding of the biology of sleep took centuries to develop. Not all milestones were academic. Sometimes, historical events pushed the limits of human endurance. Overcoming and managing these limits requires insights into the laws of nature, including human physiology. An example is the BERLIN AIRLIFT of 1948 and 1949. The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation is a non-profit organization that educates the public about the Airlift's place in history. The Foundation operates the "Spirit of Freedom", a 1945 Dougals C-54 Skymaster cargo plane. As a "flying museum", the "Spirit of Freedom" visits airshows around the nation to raise awareness of the Berlin Airlift's impact on history and culture. I partnered with the Foundation to create a special display inside the airplane about how the Berlin Airlift introduced the aviation industry to the importance of circadian rhythms and human sleep physiology. https://sites.google.com/view/biologicalclocksinflight/the-display Date and location of the most recent airshow event: April 2024, Charleston SC.; Primary organizer. (2023–present)
- Cosyne (2022–2023)
- Neuroscience of Basic Visual Processes (NBVP); Standing member, NIH Peer Review Committee (2021–2025)
- Nature Communications (2020–present)
- PNAS (2015–present)
- Nature Neuroscience (2010–present)