Phone: (413) 585-3467
Office: Sabin-Reed Rm 337
Email: ahall@email.smith.edu
Website:

Courses:

Fall

Nsc 312 General Anesthesia (Seminar))
Bch 380 Topics in Biochemistry

Spring
Bio 310 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Bio 311 Molecular Neuroscience Laboratory

Research Interests:

My laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of anesthetic action in the mammalian nervous system. To study acute effects of anesthetics, we record currents from human GABA-A and glycine receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes and characterize modulation of receptor activity by a variety of anesthetic agents. The lab has also been working with DNA microarrays, and has brought this technology to bear on some anesthetic-related questions. Little is understood about the longer term effects of general anesthetic agents (e.g. anesthetic preconditioning, post-operative depression, hepatotoxicity) and some sedatives/anxiolytics (e.g. tolerance/dependence of the barbiturates, benzodiazepines). The lab is currently engaged in broad screening of mammalian genomes to discover which genes are differentially expressed after exposure to anesthetic or sedative agents.

Representative Publications:

Hall, A.C., Stevens, R.J.N., Betts, B.A., Yeung W-Y., Kelley, J.C., Harrison, N.L. (2005). Subunit-dependent block by isoflurane of wild-type and mutant alpha 1 S270H GABAA receptor currents in Xenopus oocytes. Neuroscience Letters, 382, 332-337.

Hall, A.C., Turcotte, C.M., Betts, B.A., Yeung, W-Y., Agyeman, A..S. and Burk, L.A. (2004). Modulation of Human GABA-A and glycine receptor currents by menthol and related monoterpenoids. European Journal of Pharmacology, 506, 9-16.

Hall, A.C., Rowan, K.C., Stevens, R.J.N., Kelley, J.C., Harrison, N.L. (2004). The effects of isoflurane on desensitized wild-type and mutant alpha 1 S270H gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors . Anesthesia and Analgesia, 98: 1297-1304.

Hall, A.C. and M.E. Harrington (2003) 'Experimental Methods in Neuroscience': an undergraduate neuroscience laboratory course for teaching data collection, statistical analyses and report writing. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education , 2, A1-7.

Hall, A.C ., Suarez, C., Hom-Choudhory, A., Manu, A.N.A., Hall, C.D., Kirkovits, G.J., Ghiriviga, I. (2003). Cation transport by a redox-active synthetic ion channel. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 1, 2973-2982 .

Hall, A.C. , Earle-Cruikshanks, G. and Harrington , M.E. (1999). Role of membrane conductances and protein synthesis in subjective day phase advances of the hamster circadian clock by neuropeptide Y. European Journal of Neuroscience , v 11, 3424-3432

Diaz-Munoz, M., Dent, M.A.R., Granados-Fuentes, D., Hall, A.C. , Hernandez-Cruz, A., Harrington , M.E. , Aguilar-Roblero, R. (1999). Circadian rhythm of expression of the ryanodine receptor type 2 in neurons from the suprachiasmatic nuclei of rodents. Neuroreport, 10, 481-486.

Harrington , M.E. , Hoque, S., Hall, A.C. , Golombek, D. and Biello, S.M. (1999). Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide phase shifts circadian rhythms in a manner similar to light .. Journal of Neuroscience , 19, 6637-6642

Franks, N.P., Dickinson , R., Sousa, S.L.M., Hall, A.C. and Lieb, W.R. (1998). How does the 'inert' gas xenon produce general anaesthesia? Nature, v 396, 324

Downie, D.L., Hall, A.C., Lieb, W.R. and Franks, N.P. (1996). Effects of inhalational general anaesthetics on native glycine receptors in rat medullary neurones and recombinant glycine receptors in Xenopus oocytes. British Journal of Pharmacology , 118, 493-502.

Hall, A.C. , Lieb, W.R. and Franks, N.P. (1994) Insensitivity of P-type calcium channels to inhalational and intravenous general anesthetics. Anesthesiology , 81, 117-123.

Hall, A.C. , Lieb, W.R. and Franks, N.P. (1994) Stereoselective and non-stereoselective actions of isoflurane on the GABA A receptor. British Journal of Pharmacology , 112, 906-910.