Martin Bohlen

Martin Bohlen
Postdoctoral Associate, Sommer Lab

Contact Information:


Education & Training

Ph.D., University of Mississippi Medical Center (Mentor - Paul May), Neurobiology, Neuroanatomy


Research interests

I am currently working on discovering which viral vectors are best suited for transduction of exogenous genes into select neuronal populations. My goal is to use optogenetics to control the activity of desired neuronal populations in awake and behaving non-human primates in order to understand how the brain controls the movements of the eyes. Additionally, I hope that this viral work, in this animal model will lead to better therapeutic tools clinically for treating neuropsychiatric and neuromuscular disorders.


Associated Faculty Labs


Publications

Bohlen MO, El-Nahal, H, Prevosto V, Cruger J, Sommer M, Viral Vectors for Use in Primate Eye Movement Optogenetic Research. Gordon Research Seminar & Gordon Research Conference. Bates College. Lewiston, ME. Poster. July 9-14, 2017.

Bohlen MO, Warren S & May PJ, A Central Mesencephalic Reticular Formation Projection to Medial Rectus Motoneurons Supplying Singly and Multiply Innervated Extraocular Muscle Fibers. Journal of Comparative Neurology. (in press). 252(8): 2000-2018. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28177529)

Bohlen MO, Warren S, Mustari MJ & May PJ, An Examination of Feline Extraocular Motoneuron Pools as a Function of Muscle Fiber Innervation Type and Muscle Layer. Journal of Comparative Neurology. (2016). 525(4): 919-935.

Bohlen MO & Chen LL, A Non-Invasive Electromagnetic Perturbation Approach to Probe Extraocular Proprioception. Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. (2016). 20(1): 12-18.

Awards

$100,000 Hartwell Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2017-2019