School of Medicine

Neuroscience Center of Excellence

Farris with frogHamilton Farris, Ph.D.

 

 

 

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Records
Associate Professor

Neuroscience Center
Dept. Cell Biology and Anatomy
Dept. Otorhinolaryngology and Biocommunication
  

Mailing Address:

Neuroscience Center of Excellence
School of Medicine, LSU Health
2020 Gravier St.
New Orleans, LA 70112

Phone:
Lab: 504-599-0865

Email:
hfarri@lsuhsc.edu

 

Degrees

2002-2006: Postdoc, LSUHSC
2000-2002: Postdoc, University of Texas-Austin
1994-2000: Ph.D., Cornell University (Neurobiology & Behavior)

Bio

Awards/Recognitions/Lectures:

2014 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Medicine LSUHSC
2009 Grass Faculty Award. Marine Biological Laboratory
2005-2006: NRSA Individual Postdoctoral F32 Fellowship LSUHSC
2003-2005: NRSA Individual Postdoctoral F32 Fellowship LSUHSC
1998: Best Student Paper; 16th International Congress on Acoustics and the 135th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. Seattle, WA. USA
1995-2000: NIMH integrative training grant fellowship, Cornell University 

Research Interests

Keywords:
communication, speech, attention, complex auditory stimuli

Using the methodologies of psychophysics, neurophysiology and evolutionary biology, our research explores the underlying neural mechanisms mediating sensory acuity (i.e., stimulus detection and discrimination). Our long-range goal is to understand how components of descending circuitry contribute to the ability to communicate in noisy environments.

Field work at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

"Singing in the Rain" by Leslie Capo
Research Saves, Spring 2010

 

Teaching Activities

Course Coordinator:

Inter 132 (Neuroscience Block: Director)

Medical Neuroscience (Course Co-Director)

Psychoacoustics (Course Director)

Lecturer :

Investigative Neuroscience;

Molecular Neuroscience;

Synaptic Organization of the Brain

Eric Ham and Aaram grad day 2014

 

Dr. Hamilton Farris (center) with new Ph.D. graduates,
Eri c Knott, (left) and Aram Asatryan (right) 

 

Editorial Activities 

Associate Editor for Basic Science

Journal of the Neurological Sciences

Associate Editor for Insect Neurobiology

Frontiers in Insect Science

 

Selected Publications

Ponnath, A, Ryan, MJ, Fang, Z, Farris, HE. (2022) Tuned in to communication sounds: neuronal sensitivity in the túngara frog midbrain to frequency modulated signals. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268383

Leslie, CE, Walkowski, W, Rosencrans, RF, Gordon, WC, Bazan, NG, Ryan, MJ, Farris, HE. (2021) Estrogenic modulation of retinal sensitivity in reproductive female túngara frogs. Integrative & Comparative Biology, icab032, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icab032  Link

Lentz et al. cochlea             

Lentz JJ, Pan B, Ponnath A, Tran CM, Nist-Lund C, Galvin A, Goldberg H, Robillard KN, Jodelka FM, Farris HE, Huang J, Chen T, Zhu H, Zhou W, Rigo F, Hastings ML, Géléoc GSG (2020) Direct delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to the middle and inner ear improves hearing and balance in Usher mice, Molecular Therapy. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.08.002 Link

Leslie, CE, Rosencrans, RF, Walkowski, W, Gordon, WC, Bazan, NG, Ryan, MJ, Farris, HE. (2020) Reproductive state modulates retinal sensitivity to light in female túngara frogs. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 13:293. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00293  Link

Rosencrans RF, Leslie CE, Perkins KA, Walkowski W, Gordon WC, Richards-Zawacki CL, Bazan NG, Farris HE. (2018) Quantifying the relationship between optical anatomy and retinal physiological sensitivity: A comparative approach. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24531 Link

Ponnath, A., Depreux, F., Jodelka, F., Rigo, F., Farris, H.E., Hastings, M., Lentz, J. (2018) Rescue of outer hair cells with antisense oligonucleotides in Usher mice is dependent on age of treatment, Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology. DOI: 10.1007/s10162-017-0640-x   Link

Farris, H.E. and Ryan, M.J. (2017) Schema vs. primitive perceptual grouping: The relative weighting of sequential versus spatial cues during an auditory grouping task in frogs, Journal of Comparative Physiology A. DOI 10.1007/s00359-017-1149-9   Link

Farris, H.E. (2017) Perception drives the evolution of observable traits. Science Vol. 355, Issue 6320, pp. 25-26 DOI: 10.1126/science.aal4193 PDF / Link(Perspective paper)

Farris H.E. and Taylor, R.C. (2016) Mate Searching Animals as Model Systems for Understanding Perceptual Grouping. In Psychological Mechanisms in Animal Communication (eds: Bee, M; Miller, C). Book series Animal Signals and Communication (series eds: McGregor, PK and Janik, VM). Springer International Publishing, New York, p. 89-118. Link

Ponnath, A and Farris H.E. (2014). Sound-by-sound thalamic stimulation modulates midbrain auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in frogs. Front. Neural Circuits 8:85. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00085 Link

Imaizumi, K., Shih, J.Y. and Farris, H.E. (2013) Global hyper-synchronous spontaneous activity in the developing optic tectum. Scientific Reports doi:10.1038/srep01552 (nature.com link)

Lentz, J., Jodelka, F, Hinrich, A., McCaffrey, K., Farris, H.E., Spalitta, M., Bazan, N., Duelli, D., Rigo, F., Hastings, M. (2013) Rescue of hearing and vestibular function by antisense oligonucleotides in a mouse model of human deafness. Nature Medicine  doi:10.1038/nm.3106 Link

Press and editorials for Lentz et al.:

2013%2011:19:52%20AM 

Ponnath, A., Hoke, K. and Farris, H.E. (2013) Stimulus change detection in phasic auditory units in the frog midbrain: frequency and ear specific adaptation. Journal of Comparative Physiology A doi:10.1007/s00359-013-0794-x Link

Jones, P., Farris, H.E., Page, R., Ryan, M. (2013) Do frog-eating bats perceptually bind the complex components of frog calls? Journal of Comparative Physiology A doi: 10.1007/s00359-012-0791-5 Link

Akre, K.L., Farris, H.E., Lea, A.M., Page, R.A., and Ryan, M.J. (2011) Signal perception in frogs and bats and the evolution of mating signals. Science. 333 (6043):751-2. Link

Press and editorials for Akre et al.:
 2012%203:27:31%20PM2012%203:28:57%20PM2012%203:37:41%20PM

2012%205:00:24%20PM 2012%203:29:54%20PM


Farris, H.E., and Ryan, M.J. (2011) Relative comparisons of call parameters enable auditory grouping in frogs. Nature Communications. Vol. 2: doi: 10.1038/ncomms1417. Link

Ponnath, A. and Farris, H.E. (2010) Calcium-dependent control of temporal processing in an auditory interneuron: a computational analysis. Journal of Comparative Physiology A. 196: 613-628. Link

Lentz, L. Gordon W.C. Farris, H.E.,  MacDonald, G. Robbins, C.A., Tempel, B.L., Bazan, N.G., Rubel, E., Oesterle, E., Keats, B. (2010) Deafness and retinal degeneration in a novel USH1C knock-in mouse model. Developmental Neurobiology, 70:253-67. Link

Farris, H.E., Oshinsky, M., Forrest, T., and Hoy, R.R. (2008) Auditory sensitivity of an acoustic parasitoid (Emblemasoma sp., Sarcophagidae, Diptera) and the calling behavior of potential hosts. Brain , Behavior and Evolution, 72:16-26. Link

Farris, H.E., Wells, G.B. and Ricci, A.J. (2006) Steady-state adaptation of mechanotransduction modulates the resting potential of auditory hair cells, providing an assay for endolymph [Ca2+]. Journal of Neuroscience.26, 12526-12536. Link

Farris, H.E., Rand, A.S. and Ryan, M.J. (2005) The effects of time, space and spectrum on auditory grouping in túngara frogs. Journal of Comparative Physiology A. 191, 1173-1183. Link

Farris, H.E., and Ricci, A.J. (2005) Voltage-clamp errors cause anomalous interaction between independent ion channels.Neuroreport,16, 943-947. Link

Witte, K., Farris, H.E., Ryan, M. and Wilczynski, W. (2005) How cricket frog females deal with a noisy world: habitat-related differences in auditory tuning.Behavioral Ecology, 16, 571-579. Link

Farris, H.E., LeBlanc, C.L., Goswami, J. and Ricci, A.J. (2004) Probing the pore of the auditory hair cell mechanotransducer channel in turtle. Journal of Physiology, 558.3, 769-792. Link

Wyttenbach, R. and Farris, H.E. (2004) Insect psychoacoustics. Microscopy Research and Technique, 63, 375-387. Link

Farris, H.E., Mason, A.C. and Hoy, R.R. (2004) Identified auditory neurons in the cricket Gryllus rubens: temporal processing in calling song sensitive units. Hearing Research,193, 121-133. Link

Farris, H.E., Rand, A.S. and Ryan, M.J. (2002). The effects of spatially separated call components on phonotaxis in túngara frogs: Evidence for auditory grouping.Brain, Behavior and Evolution.60, 181-188. Link

Farris, H.E., and Hoy, R.R. (2002) Two-tone suppression in the cricket, Eunemobius carolinus (Gryllidae, Nemobiinae). Journal of the Acoustical Society of America,111, 1475-1485. Link

Farris, H.E.,and Hoy, R.R. (2000). Ultrasound sensitivity in the cricket, Eunemobius carolinus (Gryllidae, Nemobiinae). Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 107, 1727-1736. Link

Farris, H.E., Forrest, T.G. and Hoy, R.R. (1998). The effect of ultrasound on the attractiveness of acoustic mating signals. Physiological Entomology, 23, 322-328. Link

Farris, H.E., Forrest, T.G. and Hoy, R.R. (1997). The effects of calling song spacing and intensity on the attraction of flying crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Nemobiinae). Journal of Insect Behavior, 10, 639-653. Link

Forrest, T.G., Read, M.P., Farris H.E., and Hoy R.R. (1997). A tympanal hearing organ in scarab beetles. Journal of Experimental Biology, 200, 601-606. Link

Forrest, T.G., Farris, H.E. and Hoy, R.R. (1995). Ultrasound acoustic startle response in scarab beetles. Journal of Experimental Biology,198, 2593-2598. Link