Cappendijk Laboratory Susanne Cappendijk, Ph.D. Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands Florida State University College of Medicine 1115 West Call Street Lab: (850) 645-2928 Office: (850) 645-1483 Dr. Cappendijk's Faculty Profile
Research Interests
The research interests of the Cappendijk laboratory are focused on obtaining an understanding of the functional significance of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in the CNS and how these receptors can contribute to the development of therapeutic targets. nAChRs are known to play a role in addiction, but some of the receptor subtypes are known to be important for cognitive processes and memorization. Patients suffering from for example Alzheimer’s disease or schizophrenia benefit from compounds (such as nicotine) that stimulate these nAChR subtypes. In the Cappendijk laboratory, the zebra finch is used as the animal model. This animal is considered as a high order model for cognition and therefore extremely suitable to study the functionality of the nAChRs in the CNS. The Cappendijk lab designed as the first laboratory ever an in vivo nicotine treatment regimen for the zebra finch (please contact Dr. Cappendijk directly if you need more information). By studying the effects of nAChR agonists and antagonists on cognitive functioning in the zebra finch, the Cappendijk lab hopes to contribute to the further development of therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disorders in which deficits with cognitive processes and memory are playing a major role. The zebra finch – our animal model: Adult male zebra finch clay-model made by Stephanie Mallery (fall 2009) A family of zebra finches in the aviary, with an adult male on the right and an adult female on the left, flanked by two juvenile zebra finches.
Some of the Techniques used in Dr. Cappendijk’s laboratory
Molecular: Immunohistochemistry In situ hybridization Radioimmunoassays Microarray RT-PCR (receptor cloning) Behavioral: Song-recording chambers Locomotor activity chambers Spatial memory test
Current Laboratory Members - Summer 2009
Kristin Agatheas, Undergraduate student - DIS Jennifer Bartels, Undergraduate student - DIS Jared Doster, Undergraduate student - DIS Curtis Giagliardi, Laboratory Assistant Jessica Peoples, Undergraduate student - DIS Juanita Klim, Undergraduate student - DIS Monica Rodriguez, Research Assistant Stephanie Williams, Undergraduate student - DIS
Check Out These Websites:
Feathered Friends Help Dr. Cappendijk Learn about Tobacco Learn More About Zebra Finches and Other Types of Finches Scientific societies of which we are members: Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Society for Neuroscience American Medical Student Association Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society
More about Dr. Cappendijk
Faculty Advisor: American Medical Student Association (AMSA), 2006-present Faculty co-Advisor: Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society, Sigma Tau Chapter, FSU, 2005-present Selected References Meyer-Baese A, Cappendijk SLT, Althaus E. Robust stability analysis of the tryptophan regulatory network of E.Coli. Peer reviewed and accepted as a Regular Research Paper for the BIOCOM, July, 2009, Acceptance rate: 27% Nieves W, Johnson E, Patzwald JR, and Cappendijk SLT, The effects of 2-deoxyglucose in the male zebra finch, Accepted for publication BIOS, Jan. 2008 Meyer-Bäse A, van Engelen R, and Cappendijk SLT, Robust stability analysis of the heat shock response in E. coli in the proceedings of SPIE Vol. 6979 Independent Component Analysis, Wavelets, Unsupervised Nano-Biomimetic Sensors, and Neural Networks VI, Harold H. Szu; F. Jack Agee, Editors, 2008 Miller GM, Cappendijk SLT and van Engelen R. Strategies in Song Stereotyping for the zebra finch. IEEE-BIOT Conference Proceedings, 2007 Cappendijk SLT, Johnson F, Inhibitors of carbohydrate metabolism reduce undirected song production at doses that do not alter food intake in singly housed male zebra finches, Behav. Brain Res., 159: 51-54, 2005