Teaching
Medical Neuropsychology
Allied Health Neuroanatomy
Dental Physiology
Synaptic Organization of the Brain
Biostatistics
Computational Neuroscience
Clinical Skills Integration
Interprofessional Education
Education
1999
Bachelor os Science, Physics
University of Alberta-Edmonton, AB, Canada
2001
Master of Science, Physics
University of Alberta-Edmonton, AB, Canada
2007
Doctor of Physics
University of Ottawa-Ottawa, ON, Canada
2007-2010
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Neurobiology
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh, PA
2010-2013
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Otolaryngology
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh, PA
Publications
Kelley KK, Lightfoot SHM, Hill MN, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. THC Vapor Inhalation Attenuates Hyperalgesia in Rats Using a Chronic
Inflammatory Pain Model. Journal of Pain, 25:104649 (2024).
Weera MM, Shackett RS, Kramer HM, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. Central Amygdala Projections to the Lateral Hypothalamus Mediate Avoidance
Behavior in Rats. Journal of Neuroscience, 42:61-72 (2023).
Weera MM, Webster DA, Shackett RS, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. Traumatic Stress-Induced Increases in Anxiety-like Behavior and Alcohol
Self-Administrataion are Mediated by Central Amygdala CRF1 Neurons that Project to
the Lateral Hypothalamus. Journal of Neuroscience, 43:8690-8699 (2023).
Jacotte-Simancas A, Middleton JW, Edwards S, Molina P, Gilpin NW. Brain Injury Effects of Neuronal Activation and
Synaptic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala (BLA) of Adult Male and Female Wistar
Rats. Journal of Neurotrauma, 39:544-559 (2022).
Jacotte-Simancas A, Middleton JW, Edwards S, Molina P, Gilpin NW
Brain Injury Effects of Neuronal Activation and Synaptic Transmission in the Basolateral
Amygdala (BLA) of Adult Male and Female Wistar Rats.
Journal of Neurotrauma, 39:544-559 (2022)
Research
The Middleton Lab research investigates the properties and function of neurons and
synaptic connections in brain areas involved in sensory perception, stress response
and pain modulation. These areas include neocortex, amygdala, periaqueductal gray
(PAG) and lateral hypothalamus. Our goal is to characterize how neural circuits in
these regions of interest function under normal physiological conditions and how their
structure and function changes under conditions of external stressors, chronic substance
exposure, chronic pain and/or traumatic brain injury. We use electrophysiological
recording techniques and advanced computational analysis techniques to achieve this
characterization. Additionally, we test the potential for existing and novel pharmacological
therapeutics to protect and restore normal physiological function of neural circuits
in these disease and neural insult states.