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Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Ian Meinertzhagen

Professor Emeritus

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Related Information


Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , , Department of Biology

Email: iam@dal.ca
Phone: (902) 494-2131
Fax: (902) 494-6585
Mailing Address: 
Â鶹´«Ã½, Life Sciences Centre, Rm 2539, 6287 Alumni Crescent, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, N.S. B3H 4R2
 
Research Topics:
  • Development
  • Neuroscience
  • 3-D visualization and reconstruction
  • Invertebrate neurobiology
  • Synaptic fine structure
  • Electron microscopy
  • Connectomics

Education

BA/BSc University of Aberdeen
MA/MSc (University)
PhD University of St. Andrews
DSc University of St. Andrews
PDF Australian National University; Harvard University

Research Interests

Dr. Meinertzhagen’s work has pioneered studies on simple invertebrate nervous systems, especially the immaculately precise fly's visual system and the numerically diminutive nervous system of the ascidian tadpole larva, and has examined structurally identified circuits of neurons, their functional anatomy, their origins in both ontogeny and evolution, and their plasticity in adult animals.Ìý

Selected Publications

•Borycz, J., Borycz, J.A., Loubani, M. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2002). ÌýTan and ebony genes regulate a novel pathway for transmitter metabolism at fly photoreceptor terminals.Ìý J. Neurosci. 22, 10549-10557.
•Meinertzhagen, I.A., Lemaire, P. & Okamura, Y. (2004).Ìý The neurobiology of the ascidian tadpole larva: recent developments in an ancient chordate.Ìý Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 27, 453-485.
•Millard, S.S., Lu, Z., Zipursky, S.L. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2010).Ìý Drosophila Dscam proteins regulate postsynaptic specificity at multiple-contact synapses.Ìý Neuron 67, 761-768.
•Shinomiya, K., Karuppudurai, T., Lin, T-Y., Lu, Z., Lee, C-H. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2014).Ìý Candidate neural substrates for off-edge motion detection inÌýDrosophila.ÌýÌýCurr. Biol.Ìý24, 1062-1070.
•Fabian-Fine, R., Meisner, S., Torkkeli, P.H. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2015).Ìý Co-localization of gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate in neurons of the spider central nervous system.ÌýÌýCell Tiss. Res. 362:461-479.
•Takemura, S., Xu, C.S., Lu, Z., Rivlin, P.K., Olbris, D.J., Parag, T., Plaza, S.,ÌýÌýKatz, W.T., Umayam, L., Weaver, C., Hess, H., Horne, J.A., Nunez, J., Aniceto, R., Chang, L-A., Lauchie, S., Nasca, A., Ogundeyi, O., Sigmund, C., Takemura, S., Tran, J., Langille, C., Le Lacheur, K., McLin, S., Shinomiya, A.,Chklovskii, D.B., Meinertzhagen, I.A. & Scheffer, L.K. (2015).ÌýÌýÌýMulti-column synaptic circuits and an analysis of their variations in the visual system ofÌýDrosophila.ÌýÌýProc. Natl Acad. Sci. USAÌý112,Ìý13711-13716.
•Ryan, K., Lu, Z. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2016).Ìý The CNS connectome of a tadpole larva ofÌýCiona intestinalisÌýhighlights sidedness in the brain of a chordate sibling.ÌýÌýeLifeÌý5, e16962.
•Ryan, K., Lu, Z. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2017).Ìý Circuit homology of decussating pathways in theÌýCionaÌýlarval CNS and the vertebrate startle-response pathway.ÌýÌýCurr. Biol.Ìý27, 1-8. Ìý
•Takemura, S., Nern, A. Plaza, S., Chklovskii, D.B., Scheffer, L.K., Rubin, G.M. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2017).ÌýÌýTheÌýcomprehensive connectome of a neural substrate for ‘ON’ motion detection inÌýDrosophila.ÌýÌýeLifeÌý6:e24394. doi: 10.7554/eLife.24394.Ìý
•Ryan K. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2018).Ìý Neuronal Identity: The neuron types of a simple chordate sibling, the tadpole larva ofÌýCiona intestinalis.ÌýÌýCurr. Opin. Neurobiol. 56, 47-60. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.015.
•Shinomiya, K., Huang, G., Lu, Z., Parag, T., Xu, S.C., Aniceto, R., Ansari, N., Cheatham, N., Lauchie, S., Neace, E., Ogundeyi, O., Ordish, C., Peel, D., Shinomiya, A., Smith, C., Takemura, S., Talebi, I., Rivlin, P.K., Nern, A., Scheffer, L.K., Plaza, S.M. & Meinertzhagen, I.A..Ìý(2019).Ìý Comparisons between the ON- and OFF-edge motion pathways in theÌýDrosophilaÌýbrain.ÌýÌýeLifeÌý2019;Ìý8:e40025.Ìý doi:Ìý.Ìý PMID:Ìý30624205
•Scheffer, L. & Meinertzhagen, I.A. (2019).Ìý The fly brain atlas.ÌýÌýAnn. Rev.ÌýCell & Dev. Biol.Ìý35, 10.1-10.17

Awards and Publications

•STEPS Fellow, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
•Izaak Walton Killam Professor in Neuroscience, Â鶹´«Ã½
•Fellowship, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
•University Research Professorship, Â鶹´«Ã½
•Canada Council Killam Research Fellow
•Fellowship, Royal Society of Canada

Service and Activity

Associate Editor, Journal of Comparative Neurology
Editorial Board, Journal of Neurogenetics
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Invertebrate Physiology