Humboldt State University

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General Information

Associate Professor
Neurobiology and Animal Physiology, effects of environmental toxicants on the nervous system of the aquatic oligochaete worm, Lumbriculus variegatus.

Phone: (707) 826-3178
Office: Science B 336
Email: bao3@humboldt.edu
Personal Website: http://www.humboldt.edu/~bao3/

Academic background

• BS (1976) University of Wisconsin, Madison
• MS (1980) North Dakota State University
• PhD (1986) Iowa State University

Courses

• General Zoology
• Human Physiology
• Elementary Physiology
• Animal Physiology

Summary of research

The major thrust of the lab is to examine the effects of copper on the behavior and neural function of the aquatic oligochaete worm Lumbriculus variegatus.  Copper exposure negatively affects several locomotory behaviors as well as the electrophysiological properties of specific identified neurons.  We have developed several treatments that protect the animals from copper toxicity.

Sample publications

• O’Gara, B.A., Murray, P.M, Hoyt, E.M., Leigh-Logan, T., and Smeaton, M.B.  (2006).  The Vitamin E analog Trolox reduces copper toxicity in the annelid Lumbriculus variegatus but is also toxic on its own.  Neurotoxicology 27:604-614.
• O’Gara B.A., Bohannon, V.K., Teague, M.W., & Smeaton, M.B.  (2004).  Copper-induced changes in locomotor behavior and neuronal physiology of the freshwater oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus.  Aquatic Toxicol. 69:51-66
• O'Gara, B. A., Abbasi, A., Kaniecki, K., Sarder, F., Liu, J., and Narine, L. (1999). Pharmacological characterization of the response of the leech pharynx to acetylcholine. J. Exp. Zool. 284:729-741.
• O'Gara, B. A., Brown, P. L., Dlugosch, D., Kandiel, J. W., Abbasi, A., and Kounalakis, N. (1999). Regulation of pharyngeal motility by FMRFamide and related peptides in the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis. Invert. Neurosci. 4:41-53.
• O'Gara, B. A., Illuzzi, F. A., Chung, M., Portnoy, A. D., Fraga, K., Frieman, V. B. (1999). Serotonin induces four pharmacologically separable contractile responses in the pharynx of the leech, Hirudo medicinalis. Gen. Pharmacol. 32:669-681.
• O'Gara, B. A. and Friesen, W. O. (1995). Termination of swimming activity by a previously identified swim trigger neuron. J. Comp. Physiol. A 177:627-636.

Graduate students

Kathryn Hedges