Faculty Biographies

Academic Title

Professor

Academic Division

Biosciences

Education

MS/Specialty
University of Wyoming, 1978, Psychology (Neuroscience)

PhD
University of Wyoming, 1980, Psychology (Neuroscience)

Contact

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Email:

travers.3@osu.edu

Phone:

614-292-6366

Office Address:

4153 Postle Hall

305 W. 12th Ave.

Columbus, OH 43210

Lab Phone:

614-292-4046

Research Interests

Taste, oral tactile, thermal and olfactory information combine to elicit the complex experience of flavor. Studying the initial brainstem processing of gustatory signals using in vivo neurophysiology to determine how single neurons integrate gustatory information from different oral regions and code distinctive taste qualities. Neuroanatomical tracing and immunohistochemical experiments elucidate the pathways and neurochemistry underlying the impact of taste on feeding circuits. Immunohistochemistry for immediate-early genes serves as an activity marker that allows investigation of taste quality maps and the connectivity and neurochemistry of functionally-defined neurons. Recent experiments combine behavioral pharmacology with in vivo and in vitro neurophysiology and immunohistochemistry to elucidate how opiate neuropeptides and signals from the gastrointestinal tract modify taste perceptions and reactions.

Publications

Temporal Characteristics of Gustatory Responses in Rat Parabrachial Neurons Vary by Stimulus and Chemosensitive Neuron Type. Geran, L. & Travers, S. Oct 4 2013 In : PLoS ONE. 8, 10, e76828

The μ-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO presynaptically suppresses solitary tract-evoked input to neurons in the rostral solitary nucleus. Boxwell, A. J., Yanagawa, Y., Travers, S. P. & Travers, J. B. Jun 11 2013 In : Journal of Neurophysiology. 109, 11, p. 2815-2826 12 p.

Activation of NPY receptors suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission in a taste-feeding network in the lower brain stem. Chen, Z., Travers, S. P. & Travers, J. B. Jun 15 2012 In : American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 302, 12

μ-Opioid modulation in the rostral solitary nucleus and reticular formation alters taste reactivity: Evidence for a suppressive effect on consummatory behavior. Kinzeler, N. R. & Travers, S. P. Sep 1 2011 In : American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. 301, 3

Glossopharyngeal nerve transection impairs unconditioned avoidance of diverse bitter stimuli in rats. Geran, L. C. & Travers, S. P. Aug 1 2011 In : Behavioral Neuroscience. 125, 4, p. 519-528 10 p

Central Neural Processing of Taste Information. Smith, D. V. & Travers, S. P. Dec 1 2010 The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference. Elsevier Inc., Vol. 4, p. 289-327 39 p.

Suppression of third Ventricular NPY-elicited feeding following medullary reticular formation infusions of muscimol. Travers, J. B., Herman, K. & Travers, S. P. Apr 1 2010 In : Behavioral Neuroscience. 124, 2, p. 225-233 9 p.