Ari Berkowitz Curriculum Vitae:
Presidential Professor, Department of Biology
Director, Cellular & Behavioral Neurobiology Graduate Program
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK 73019
E-mail:
ari at ou dot edu
Ph: 405-325-3492
Fax: 405-325-6202
EDUCATION:
1996-1997: Postdoctoral Fellow
UCLA
Laboratory of Franklin Krasne
1993-1996: Postdoctoral Fellow
California Institute of Technology
Laboratory of Gilles Laurent
1993: Ph.D., Neurosciences
Washington University, St. Louis
Laboratory of Paul S.G. Stein
1984: A.B. with honors, Chemistry
University of Chicago
HONORS/AWARDS:
2015-present: President's Associates Presidential Professorship
2014-2018: P.I. for National Science Foundation Award, "Selection and generation of limb movements by a combination of multifunctional and specialized spinal interneurons"
2013-2017: P.I. for Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology award, "Flexion reflex-selective spinal interneurons"
2012: Elected a Councilor of the International Society for Neuroethology
2010-2014: P.I. for National Science Foundation Award, "Selection and generation of limb movements by a combination of multifunctional and specialized spinal interneurons"
2010: Neuroethology course (Zoology 4893/5893) selected as a Presidential Dream Course for Fall 2010
2006: Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award
2004-2010: P.I. for National Science
Foundation Award, "Selection and generation of rhythmic motor patterns by
the spinal cord"
1998-2004: P.I. for National Science
Foundation Award, "Selection and generation of rhythmic motor patterns by
the spinal cord."
1998-2000: P.I. for Oklahoma Center for the
Advancement of Science and Technology Health Research Program Award (declined
in favor of NSF Award)
1996-1997: Fellow of the German-American
Academic Council Young Scholars Institute on The Organization of Behavior
1995: Capranica Foundation Award in
Neuroethology, for best neuroethology paper published in 1994 or 1995 by a
young scientist
1994-1996: National Institutes of Health NRSA
Postdoctoral Fellowship
1991: Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Medical
Scientist Fellowship, Washington University
1990: Society of General Physiologists
Scholarship for Marine Biological Laboratory summer course
1987-1990: National Science Foundation
Predoctoral Fellowship
1984: Phi Beta Kappa membership, University
of Chicago
1979-1980: National Merit Scholarship
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
2008-present: Instructor, Behavioral Neurobiology (formerly Neuroethology) (Biology 4893/5893), University of Oklahoma
2008-present: Instructor, Current Topics in Neurobiology (Biology 4871/5871), University of Oklahoma
1998-present: Instructor, Human
Physiology (Biology 2124), University of Oklahoma
1999-present: Instructor, Neural Control of
Movement (Biology 4863/5863), University of Oklahoma
1998-present: Led neuroscience demonstrations at Science Museum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and at Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman
2004: Judge, Oklahoma Virtual Science Fair
Spring 2000, Fall 1999: Instructor, General
Seminar (Zoology 4961), University of Oklahoma
Fall 1998 Instructor, Sensorimotor
Integration (Zoology 4970/5970), University of Oklahoma
1995-1997: Judge, California State Science
Fair
1993: Mentor, Young Scientist Program,
Washington University--Supervised research by a St. Louis public high school
student
1992-1993: Instructor, Hands-on Neuroscience,
Washington University--Demonstrated principles and experiments of neuroscience
to St. Louis area grade school and junior high school students
1989: Teaching Assistant, Washington
University undergraduate Neuroethology course
PUBLICATIONS:
Book:
Berkowitz, Ari (2016) Governing Behavior: How Nerve Cell Dictatorships and Democracies Control Everything We Do. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Neurobiology articles:
Bannatyne, B. A., Hao, Z. Z., Dyer, G. M. C., Watanabe, M., Maxwell, D. J., and Berkowitz, A. (2020) Neurotransmitters and motoneuron contacts of multifunctional and behaviorally specialized turtle spinal cord interneurons. J. Neurosci. 40: 2680-2694, doi: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2200-19.2020.
Nguyen, K. H., Scheurich, T. E., Gu, T., and Berkowitz, A. (2020) Spinal interneurons with dual axon projections to knee-extensor and hip-extensor motor pools. Frontier in Neural Circuits 14: 7, doi: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00007.
Berkowitz, A. (2019) Expanding our horizons: central pattern generation in the context of complex activity sequences. J. Exp. Biol. 222: jeb192054. doi:10.1242/jeb.192054.
Berkowitz, A. (2018) You can observe a lot by watching: Hughlings Jackson’s underappreciated and prescient ideas about brain control of movement. The Neuroscientist 24: 448-455 (cover article). doi: 10.1177/1073858418781819.
Johnson, K. P., Tran, S. M., Siegrist, E. A., Paidimarri, K. B., Elson, M. S., Berkowitz, A. (2017) Turtle flexion reflex motor patterns show windup, mediated partly by L-type calcium channels. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 11: 83, doi: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00083.
Hao, Z.-Z. and Berkowitz, A. (2017) Shared components of rhythm generation for locomotion and scratching exist prior to motoneurons. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 11: 54, doi: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00054 (recommended by F1000)
Elson, M. S. and Berkowitz, A. (2016) Flexion reflex can interrupt and reset the swimming rhythm. J. Neurosci. 36: 2819 –2826.
Berkowitz, A. (2016) Population Coding. In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, Elsevier.
Holmes, J. R. and Berkowitz, A. (2014) Dendritic orientation and branching distinguish a class of multifunctional turtle spinal interneurons. Frontiers in Neural Circuits doi: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00136.
Hao, Z.-Z., Meier, M. L., and Berkowitz, A. (2014) Rostral spinal cord segments are sufficient to generate a rhythm for both locomotion and scratching, but affect their hip extensor phases differently. J. Neurophysiol.112: 147-155.
Berkowitz, A. (2013) Control of locomotion and scratching in turtles. In: Encyclopedia of Computational Neurosciences, SpringerReference.com, Article ID: 348107; Chapter ID: 42.
Mui, J.W., Willis, K.L., Hao, Z.-Z., and Berkowitz, A. (2012) Distributions of active spinal cord neurons during swimming and scratching motor patterns. J. Comp. Physiol. A 198: 877-889.
Hao, Z.-Z., Spardy, L.E., Nguyen, E., Rubin, J.E., and Berkowitz, A. (2011) Strong interactions between spinal cord networks for locomotion and scratching. J. Neurophysiol. 106: 1766-1781.
Berkowitz, A. and Hao, Z.-Z. (2011) Partly shared spinal cord networks for locomotion and scratching. Integrative and Comparative Biology 51: 890-902 (doi:10.1093/icbicr041).
Berkowitz, A., Roberts, A., and Soffe, S. R. (2010) Roles for multifunctional and specialized spinal interneurons during motor pattern generation in tadpoles, zebrafish larvae, and turtles. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 4: 36.
Berkowitz, A. (2010) Shared and specialized spinal interneurons for turtle limb movements. Annals of the NY Academy of Sciences 1198: 119-132.
Berkowitz, A. (2009) Population Coding. In: Larry R. Squire, Ed., Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, Academic Press, Oxford, pp. 757-764.
Berkowitz, A. (2008) Physiology and morphology of shared and specialized spinal interneurons for locomotion and scratching. J. Neurophysiol. 99:2887-2901.
Berkowitz, A. (2007) Spinal interneurons
that are selectively activated during fictive flexion reflex. J. Neurosci. 27:4634-4641.
Berkowitz, A., Yosten, G.L.C., and Ballard,
R.M. (2006) Somato-dendritic morphology predicts physiology for neurons that
contribute to several kinds of limb movements. J. Neurophysiol. 95:2821-2831.
Berkowitz, A. (2005) Physiology and
morphology indicate that individual spinal interneurons contribute to diverse
limb movements. J. Neurophysiol.
94:4455-4470.
Berkowitz, A. (2004) Propriospinal
projections to the ventral horn of the rostral and caudal hindlimb enlargement
in turtles. Brain Res.
1014:164-176.
Berkowitz, A. (2004) Motor output of the
brain and spinal cord. In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.: Chichester, UK.
Berkowitz, A. (2002) Both shared and
specialized neural circuitry for scratching and swimming in turtles. J.
Comp. Physiol. A 188:225-234 (DOI
10.1007/s00359-002-0297-7).
Berkowitz, A. (2002) Endogenous biotin
staining in a subset of spinal neuronal cell bodies: a potential confounding
factor for neuroanatomical studies. Brain Res. 938:98-102.
Berkowitz, A. (2001) Broadly tuned spinal
neurons for each form of fictive scratching in spinal turtles. J.
Neurophysiol. 86:1017-1025.
Berkowitz, A. (2001) Rhythmicity of spinal
neurons activated during each form of fictive scratching in spinal turtles. J.
Neurophysiol. 86:1026-1036.
Berkowitz, A. (2000, 2004, 2012) Motor output of the
brain and spinal cord. In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. Macmillan Reference Ltd.: London.
Berkowitz, A., Vu, E.T., and Krasne, F.B.
(1998) Specificity of neural circuits that inhibit escape in crayfish. Ann.
NY Acad. Sci. 860:461-463.
Vu, E.T., Berkowitz, A., and Krasne, F.B.
(1997) Postexcitatory inhibition of the crayfish lateral giant neuron: a
mechanism for sensory temporal filtering. J. Neurosci. 17:8867-8879.
Berkowitz, A. and Laurent, G. (1996) Local
control of leg movements and motor patterns during grooming in locusts. J.
Neurosci. 16:8067-8078.
Berkowitz, A. and Laurent, G. (1996) Central
generation of grooming motor patterns and interlimb coordination in locusts. J.
Neurosci. 16:8079-8091.
Berkowitz, A. (1996) Networks of neurons, networks of genes. Neuron 17:199-202.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1994)
Descending propriospinal axons in the hindlimb enlargement of the red-eared
turtle: Cells of origin and funicular courses. J. Comp. Neurol. 346:321-336.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1994)
Activity of descending propriospinal axons in the turtle hindlimb enlargement
during two forms of fictive scratching: Broad tuning to regions of the
body surface. J. Neurosci.
14:5089-5104.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1994)
Activity of descending propriospinal axons in the turtle hindlimb enlargement during
two forms of fictive scratching: Phase analyses. J. Neurosci. 14:5105-5119.
Berkowitz, A. and Suga, N. (1989) Neural
mechanisms of ranging are different in two species of bats. Hearing
Res. 41:255-264.
Essays:
Berkowitz, A. (2019) Playing the genome card. J. Neurogenetics, doi: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1706093.
Berkowitz, A. (1998) Our genes, ourselves?
In: The Biological Basis of Human Behavior: A Critical Review, 2 nd
edition, ed. R.W. Sussman, Prentice
Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Berkowitz, A. (1996) Our genes, ourselves? BioScience 46:42-51.
History of science articles:
Berkowitz, A. and Kevles, D.J. (2003)
Patenting human genes: the advent of ethics in the political economy of patent
law. Medicina nei Secoli Arte e Scienza
15:37-54.
Berkowitz, A. and Kevles, D.J. (2002) Patenting human genes: the advent of
ethics in the political economy of patent law. In: Who Owns Life , ed. D. Magnus, A. Caplan, and G. McGee, Prometheus
Books, Amherst, NY, pp. 75-97.
Kevles, D.J. and Berkowitz, A. (2001) The gene patenting controversy: a
convergence of law, economic interests, and ethics. Brooklyn Law Review 67:233-248.
Research abstracts:
Berkowitz, A., Bannatyne, B. A., Dyer, G. M. C., and Maxwell, D. J. (2018) Neurotransmitters and motoneuron contacts of multifunctional and behaviorally specialized turtle spinal cord interneurons, International Congress of Neuroethology, Brisbane, Australia, July 2018, poster 108.
Berkowitz, A. and Elson, M. S. (2016) Flexion reflex can interrupt and reset the swimming rhythm. 12th International Congress of Neuroethology, Montevideo, Uruguay, April 2016, poster PII-60.
Johnson, K. P., Tran, S. M., Siegrist, E. A., Elson, M. S., and Berkowitz, A. (2015) Innocuous flexion reflex shows windup, mediated partly by L-type calcium channels. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.
Hao, Z.-Z. and Berkowitz, A. (2014) Turtle swimming and scratching stimuli are integrated to generate one rhythm prior to motoneurons. 11th International Congress of Neuroethology, Sapporo, Japan, July 28-Aug. 1, 2014.
Hao, Z.-Z., McMahan, M. L., and Berkowitz, A. (2012) Sufficient spinal segments for swimming vs. scratching in turtles. 10th International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park, MD, Aug. 5-10, 2012, PO50.
Hao, Z.-Z. and Berkowitz, A. (2011) Spinal cord segments required for swimming and scratching in turtles. Gordon Research Conference in Neuroethology, Aug. 14-19, 2011.
Mui, J.W. and Berkowitz, A. (2010) Regional distributions of active spinal cord neurons during fictive forward swimming and three forms of fictive scratching. 9th International Congress of Neuroethology, Salamanca, Spain, P102.
Hao, Z.-Z., Nguyen, E.B.L., and Berkowitz, A. (2010) Strong interactions between the networks for swimming and each form of scratching in turtles. 9th International Congress of Neuroethology, Salamanca, Spain, P103.
Mui, J.W., Willis, K.L., and Berkowitz, A. (2009) Regional distribution of active spinal cord neurons during fictive forward swimming and three forms of fictive scratching. Cellular and Network Functions in the Spinal Cord conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, June 23-26, 2009.
Hao, Z. and Berkowitz, A. (2009) Swim and scratch inputs can be integrated at the level of rhythm generation in the spinal cord. Cellular and Network Functions in the Spinal Cord conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, June 23-26, 2009.
Berkowitz, A. (2009) Shared and specialized spinal interneurons for vertebrate limb movements. Cellular and Network Functions in the Spinal Cord conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, June 23-26, 2009.
Willis, K.L. and Berkowitz, A. (2008) Distributions of spinal cord neurons activated during fictive forward swimming and each form of fictive scratching. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 372.10.
Hao, Z. and Berkowitz, A. (2008) Swim and scratch stimuli access a common rhythm-generating network in the spinal cord. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 372.11.
Nguyen, E.B. and Berkowitz, A. (2007). Interactions between the spinal networks for swimming and each form of scratching. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 406.15.
Berkowitz, A. (2007). Physiology and morphology of spinal interneurons recorded intracellularly during both fictive swimming and fictive scratching. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 406.16.
Berkowitz, A. (2007). Morphology and physiology of scratch/swim and scratch-specialized spinal interneurons. Eighth International Congress of Neuroethology, Vancouver, BC, Canada, PO194.
Berkowitz, A. (2006) Physiology and morphology of spinal interneurons that are preferentially activated during fictive flexion reflex. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 448.26.
Berkowitz, A. (2006) Morphology and physiology of spinal interneurons activated during fictive scratching and/or fictive swimming. Wenner-Gren International Symposium: Networks in Motion. Stockholm, Sweden.
Berkowitz, A., Yosten, G.L.C., and Ballard, R.M. (2006) Somato-dendritic
morphology predicts physiology for neurons that contribute to several kinds of
limb movements. Annual Meeting of the Southwestern and Rocky Mountain
division of AAAS, Tulsa, OK, 4/8/2006.
Berkowitz, A., Yosten, G.L.C., and Ballard,
R.M. (2005) Correlations between morphology and in-vivo physiology of scratch-activated spinal interneurons. Soc.
Neurosci. Abstr. 630.16.
Berkowitz, A. (2004) Central control of
intralimb and interlimb coordination in a vertebrate model system. The 7th
Congress of the International Society for Neuroethology, Nyborg, Denmark, SY 03.
Berkowitz, A., Yosten, G.L.C., and Ballard, R.M. (2004) A distinct
morphological class of rhythmic, scratch-related, spinal interneurons in
turtles. The 7th Congress of the International Society for Neuroethology, Nyborg, Denmark, PO 226.
Berkowitz, A. (2003) Morphology and physiology of scratch-related spinal
interneurons. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 188.4.
Berkowitz, A. (2002) Propriospinal
projections to the rostral and caudal hindlimb enlargement spinal cord. Soc.
Neurosci. Abstr. 167:12.
Berkowitz, A. (2001) Both shared and
dedicated circuitry for scratching and swimming in turtles. International
Congress of Neuroethology, Poster
320.
Berkowitz, A. (2001) Both shared and
dedicated circuitry for vertebrate limb movements. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 27:306.8.
Berkowitz, A. (2000) Rhythmicity and cell
locations of spinal neurons involved in fictive scratching. Soc. Neurosci.
Abstr. 26:455.
Berkowitz, A. (1999) Broadly tuned spinal
neurons for each form of fictive scratching in spinal turtles. Soc.
Neurosci. Abstr. 25:1909.
Berkowitz, A., Vu, E.T., and Krasne, F.B.
(1997) Specificity of neural circuits that inhibit escape in crayfish. Soc.
Neurosci. Abstr. 23:479.
Berkowitz, A. and Laurent, G. (1995) Central
generation of directed limb movements in locusts. Soc. Neurosci.
Abstr. 21:1764.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1992) Cells
of origin and funicular courses of propriospinal axons descending in the turtle
hindlimb enlargement. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 18:312.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1992)
Activity of descending propriospinal neurons is linked to the activity cycle of
hip motor neurons during both rostral and pocket fictive scratching in
turtles. Proceedings of the Third International Congress of Neuroethology, Abstract No. 309.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1991)
Bilateral activation of interneurons during fictive scratching in spinal
turtles. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr .
17:123.
Berkowitz, A. and Stein, P.S.G. (1990)
Activity of spinal neurons with descending axons during fictive scratch in
spinal turtles. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 16:1091.
Berkowitz, A. and Suga, N. (1988) Are the
mechanisms of delay-dependent integrators for ranging different in two species
of bats, Little Brown Bat and Mustached Bat? Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 14:1100.
Berkowitz, A. and Grobstein, P. (1987) Frog
prey orienting and brain development: neuronal proliferation in ventral
tegmentum. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr .
13:252.
Grobstein, P., Hollyday, M., and Berkowitz, A. (1984) Metamorphic changes in the Nucleus Isthmi in Rana Pipiens. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 10:466.
Teaching abstract:
Fiez, J.A., Berkowitz, A., Carmichael, S.T.,
Goodkin, H.P., Keating, J.G., Lewis, A., Solomon, J.S., and White, L.E.
(1992) Hands-on neuroscience demonstrations for elementary and secondary
school classrooms. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.
18:190.
Letter to the editor:
Berkowitz, A. (1989) Human Genome Program. Science 246:874.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
Society for Neuroscience
International Society for Neuroethology
American Physiological Society