Professor Ruth Empson's laboratory uses a combination of electrophysiology, live imaging and molecular approaches to better understand the consequences of modifications to neuronal circuits. She is interested in those circuits or networks within the cerebellum and motor cortex that contribute to our ability to make controlled movements. This research has relevance for highly debilitating and poorly treated movement disorders such as ataxia, motor neuron disease and spinal injury. She is also becoming increasingly interested in the contribution of the cerebellum to cognitive processes and its disruption in the poorly treated disorder, autism.
Find out more about Professor Empson's research.
Publications
Ohline, S. M., Liu, X., Ibrahim, M. F., Mockett, B., Empson, R. M., Abraham, W. C., Iremonger, K. J., & Jones, P. P. (2022, August-September). Altered membrance properties but unchanged intrinsic excitability and spontaneous postsynaptic currents in an aged APPswe/PS1dE9 model of Alzheimer's disease. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (MedSci), Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Ohline, S. M., Liu, X., Ibrahim, M. F., Mockett, B. G., Empson, R. M., Abraham, W. C., Iremonger, K. J., & Jones, P. P. (2022). Altered membrane properties but unchanged intrinsic excitability and spontaneous postsynaptic currents in an aged APPswe/PS1dE9 model of Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 16, 958876. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2022.958876
Journal - Research Article
Deeney, E., Ibrahim, M., Potapov, K., Hughes, S., & Empson, R. (2022). Voluntary exercise restores motor performance in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). In K. Horne (Ed.), Proceedings of the 38th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR). (pp. 61). Retrieved from https://www.queenstownresearchweek.org
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Nakano, T., Rizwan, S. B., Myint, D. M. A., Gray, J., Mackay, S. M., Harris, P., Perk, C. G., Hyland, B. I., Empson, R., Tan, E. W., … Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. R. (2022). An on-demand drug delivery system for control of epileptiform seizures. Pharmaceutics, 14, 468. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020468
Journal - Research Article
Jimenez-Martin, J., Potapov, D., Potapov, K., Knöpfel, T., & Empson, R. M. (2021). Cholinergic modulation of sensory processing in awake mouse cortex. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 17525. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-96696-8
Journal - Research Article
Empson, R. M., Tantirigama, M. L. S., Oswald, M. J., Hughes, S. M., & Knöpfel, T. (2015). Combined immunochemistry and live imaging of fluorescent protein expressing neurons in mouse brain. In A. Merighi & L. Lossi (Eds.), Immunocytochemistry and related techniques. (pp. 357-373). New York: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2313-7_19
Chapter in Book - Research
Roome, C. J., & Empson, R. M. (2010). Assessment of the contribution of the plasma membrane calcium ATPase, PMCA, calcium transporter to synapse function using patch clamp electrophysiology and fast calcium imaging. In Q. Yan (Ed.), Membrane transporters in drug discovery and development: Methods and Protocols [Vol. 637]. (pp. 343-360). New York: Springer Science+Business Media. doi: 10.1007/978-1-60761-700-6_19
Chapter in Book - Research
Nakano, T., Rizwan, S. B., Myint, D. M. A., Gray, J., Mackay, S. M., Harris, P., Perk, C. G., Hyland, B. I., Empson, R., Tan, E. W., … Reynolds, J. N. J., & Wickens, J. R. (2022). An on-demand drug delivery system for control of epileptiform seizures. Pharmaceutics, 14, 468. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020468
Journal - Research Article
Ohline, S. M., Liu, X., Ibrahim, M. F., Mockett, B. G., Empson, R. M., Abraham, W. C., Iremonger, K. J., & Jones, P. P. (2022). Altered membrane properties but unchanged intrinsic excitability and spontaneous postsynaptic currents in an aged APPswe/PS1dE9 model of Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 16, 958876. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2022.958876
Journal - Research Article
Jimenez-Martin, J., Potapov, D., Potapov, K., Knöpfel, T., & Empson, R. M. (2021). Cholinergic modulation of sensory processing in awake mouse cortex. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 17525. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-96696-8
Journal - Research Article
Clare, A. J., Day, R. C., Empson, R. M., & Hughes, S. M. (2018). Transcriptome profiling of layer 5 intratelencephalic projection neurons from the mature mouse motor cortex. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 11, 410. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00410
Journal - Research Article
Clare, A. J., Wicky, H. E., Empson, R. M., & Hughes, S. M. (2017). RNA-sequencing analysis reveals a regulatory role for transcription factor Fezf2 in the mature motor cortex. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 10, 283. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00283
Journal - Research Article
Ibrahim, M. F., Power, E. M., Potapov, K., & Empson, R. M. (2017). Motor and cerebellar architectural abnormalities during the early progression of ataxia in a mouse model of SCA1 and how early prevention leads to a better outcome later in life. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 11, 292. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00292
Journal - Research Article
Antic, S. D., Empson, R. M., & Knöpfel, T. (2016). Voltage imaging to understand connections and functions of neuronal circuits. Journal of Neurophysiology, 116, 135-152. doi: 10.1152/jn.00226.2016
Journal - Research Article
Power, E. M., English, N. A., & Empson, R. M. (2016). Are Type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of cerebellar ataxia? Journal of Physiology, 594(16), 4643-4652. doi: 10.1113/jp271153
Journal - Research Article
Power, E. M., Morales, A., & Empson, R. M. (2016). Prolonged type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor dependent synaptic signaling contributes to spino-cerebellar ataxia type 1. Journal of Neuroscience, 36(18), 4910-4916. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.3953-15.2016
Journal - Research Article
Tantirigama, M. L. S., Oswald, M. J., Clare, A. J., Wicky, H. E., Day, R. C., Hughes, S. M., & Empson, R. M. (2016). Fezf2 expression in layer 5 projection neurons of mature mouse motor cortex. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 524(4), 829-845. doi: 10.1002/cne.23875
Journal - Research Article
Empson, R. M., Goulton, C., Scholtz, D., Gallero-Salas, Y., Zeng, H., & Knöpfel, T. (2015). Validation of optical voltage reporting by the genetically encoded voltage indicator VSFP-Butterfly from cortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in mouse brain slices. Physiological Reports, 3(7), e12468. doi: 10.14814/phy2.12468
Journal - Research Article
Madisen, L., Garner, A. R., Shimaoka, D., Chuong, A. S., Klapoetke, N. C., Li, L., … Empson, R. M., … Zeng, H. (2015). Transgenic mice for intersectional targeting of neural sensors and effectors with high specificity and performance. Neuron, 85(5), 942-958. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.022
Journal - Research Article
Schoderboeck, L., Riad, S., Bokor, A. M., Wicky, H. E., Strauss, M., Bostina, M., Oswald, M. J., Empson, R. M., & Hughes, S. M. (2015). Chimeric rabies SADB19-VSVg-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors mediate long-range retrograde transduction from the mouse spinal cord. Gene Therapy, 22, 357-364. doi: 10.1038/gt.2015.3
Journal - Research Article
Power, E. M., & Empson, R. M. (2014). Functional contributions of glutamate transporters at the parallel fibre to Purkinje neuron synapse: Relevance for the progression of cerebellar ataxia. Cerebellum & Ataxias, 1, 3. doi: 10.1186/2053-8871-1-3
Journal - Research Article
Tantirigama, M. L. S., Oswald, M. J., Duynstee, C., Hughes, S. M., & Empson, R. M. (2014). Expression of the developmental transcription factor Fezf2 identifies a distinct subpopulation of layer 5 intratelencephalic-projection neurons in mature mouse motor cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(12), 4303-4308. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.3111-13.2014
Journal - Research Article
Empson, R. M., Huang, H., Nagaraja, R. Y., Roome, C. J., & Knöpfel, T. (2013). Enhanced synaptic inhibition in the cerebellar cortex of the ataxic PMCA2-/- knockout mouse. Cerebellum, 12, 667-675. doi: 10.1007/s12311-013-0472-0
Journal - Research Article
Oswald, M. J., Tantirigama, M. L. S., Sonntag, I., Hughes, S. M., & Empson, R. M. (2013). Diversity of layer 5 projection neurons in the mouse motor cortex. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 7, 174. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00174
Journal - Research Article
Roome, C. J., & Empson, R. M. (2013). The contribution of the sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA) to cerebellar synapse function. Advances in Experimental Medicine & Biology, 961, 251-263. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4756-6_21
Journal - Research Article
Roome, C. J., Knöpfel, T., & Empson, R. M. (2013). Functional contributions of the plasma membrane calcium ATPase and the sodium—calcium exchanger at mouse parallel fibre to Purkinje neuron synapses. Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology, 465(2), 319-331. doi: 10.1007/s00424-012-1172-1
Journal - Research Article
Roome, C. J., Power, E. M., & Empson, R. M. (2013). Transient reversal of the sodium/calcium exchanger boosts presynaptic calcium and synaptic transmission at a cerebellar synapse. Journal of Neurophysiology, 109(6), 1669-1680. doi: 10.1152/jn.00854.2012
Journal - Research Article
Empson, R. M., & Knöpfel, T. (2012). Functional integration of calcium regulatory mechanisms at Purkinje neuron synapses. Cerebellum, 11(3), 640-650. doi: 10.1007/s12311-010-0185-6
Journal - Research Article
Russell, C. L., Semerdjieva, S., Empson, R. M., Austen, B. M., Beesley, P. W., & Alifragis, P. (2012). Amyloid-β acts as a regulator of neurotransmitter release disrupting the interaction between synaptophysin and VAMP2. PLoS ONE, 7(8), e43201. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043201
Journal - Research Article
Empson, R. M., Akemann, W., & Knöpfel, T. (2010). The role of the calcium transporter protein plasma membrane calcium ATPase PMCA2 in cerebellar Purkinje neuron function. Functional Neurology, 25(3), 153-163.
Journal - Research Article