Jagmeet S. Kanwal, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research Bldg., Room WP09A
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Phone: (202) 687-1305
Email address:    http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/kanwalj/

LAB:  Research Bldg., Room WP09
Georgetown University Medical Center
3900 Reservoir Road NW
Washington D.C. 20057-1460
Phone: (202) 687-5070
Fax: (202) 687-0617

EDUCATION:
Ph.D. Physiology, Louisiana State University, USA 1986

Research Interests: My laboratory is interested in understanding the neural basis of species-specific audiovocal behaviors, including the neural origins of speech and music. The major goal of our research is to elucidate the cortical networks, coding and computational strategies, and neural mechanisms for the perception of species-specific communication sounds.  Using bats as animal models, we study the basic mechanisms that underlie stimulus driven neural integration and plasticity, hemispheric lateralization, combination-sensitivity and multifunctionality of cortical neurons.  We are especially interested in the functional organization of the cortex and in neurodynamics at the cellular and systems levels.

Philosophy and Methods: We subscribe to a neuroethological philosophy and employ a multidisciplinary approach that includes single cell electrophysiology, multichannel microelectrode recordings of ongoing (EEG) and evoked activity (ERPs), functional MRI (in both bats and humans), acoustical analyses, neural network simulations as well as behavioral and neuroanatomical techniques.  A quantitative methodology and use of advanced statistical analyses is encouraged. 

Significance: Our research will contribute towards understanding the evolutionary and neurobiological basis of two highly developed and inter-related facets of human cognition, namely perception of speech and music.  Both of these human faculties emerge from highly plastic cortical mechanisms, molecular details of which are not yet clear.  Our findings will contribute to understanding various forms of deafness, tinnitus, language and speech disorders and in general of how audition works.  Technical aspects of our research can facilitate the development of auditory prosthetic devices, including hearing aids as well as cochlear and cortical implants for the hearing impaired.

 

 Selected Publications:

• Prasada Rao and Kanwal J.S. (in press) Oxytocin and vasopressin immunoreactivity within the forebrain and limbic-related areas in the mustached bat, Pteronotus parnellii. Brain Behav and Evol.
• Kanwal J.S., Peng J.P., and Esser, K.-H. (2003) Vocal communication and echolocation in the mustached bat: computing dual functions within single neurons. In: Thomas J.A., and Vater M., Moss, C.J. (eds) ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF ECHOLOCATION IN BATS AND DOLPHINS. University of Chicago Press.
• Kanwal J.S, Medvedev A.V and Micheyl C. (2003) Neurodynamics for auditory stream segregation: tracking sounds in the mustached bat?s natural environment. Network (in press).
• Kanwal J.S. * and Prasada Rao P.D (2002) Oxytocin within auditory nuclei: a neuromodulatory function in sensory processing? NeuroReport. 13:2193-2197.
• Medvedev A.V., Chiao F., and Kanwal J.S. (2002) Modeling complex sound perception: grouping harmonics with combination-sensitive neurons. Biological Cybernetics 86:497-505.
• Kanwal J.S., Gordon M., Peng J.P., and Esser, K.-H. (2000) Auditory responses from the frontal cortex in the mustached bat, Pteronotus parnellii. NeuroReport. 11:367-372.
• Kieckhefer E., and Kanwal J.S. (2000) A computer program for sequencing and presenting complex sounds for auditory neuroimaging studies. J. Neurosci. Methods 101:43-48.
• Kanwal J.S. (1999) Processing species-specific calls by combination-sensitive neurons in an echolocating bat. In: Hauser, M.D. and Konishi, M. (ed.) THE DESIGN OF ANIMAL COMMUNICATION. MIT press p. 134-157.

For more publications, go to PubMed at the following link:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/