Education

B.S., Physics, Georgia Instutite of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 1997
Ph.D., Physics, Georgia Instutite of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2003
FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 2004-2006.

Research Statement

I enter the FIRST program with a PhD in physics and a graduate minor in neuroscience. I have done some computer modeling of biological systems, but I am eager to learn more biology. My first goal is to gain electrophysiology lab skills so that I can better understand the systems I want to model, and my second goal is to develop computer models that are viable for undergraduate research projects.

My primary research project is the investigation of rhythmogenesis in the mammalian spinal cord. Using a neonatal rat model, I seek to identify the role of specific neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in different types of rhythmogenesis, and to identify if possible the networks that underlie different types of rhythmic behavior. Experimental protocols include application of neurochemicals to an in vitro spinal cord while recording from both ventral roots with suction electrodes and interneurons via blind patch clamp. I should have sufficient data this year to begin a modeling project.

Recent Publications

Breen, B.J., Weidert, C.E., Lindner, J.F., Walker, L.M.,  Kelly, K., and Heidtmann, E. (2008) Invitation to embarrassingly parallel computing. Am. J. Phys. 76:347-352.

Breen, B.J., Gerken, W.C., Butera, R.J. Jr. (2003) Hybrid integrate-and-fire model of a bursting neuron. Neural Comput.15(12):2843-62.

Lindner, J.F., Breen, B.J., Wills, M.E., Bulsara, A.R., Ditto, W.L. (2001) Monostable array-enhanced stochastic resonance. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 63(5 Pt 1):051107.

Lindner, J.F., Mason, J., Neff, J., Breen, B.J., Ditto, W.L, Bulsara, A.R. (2001) Noninvasive control of stochastic resonance. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 63(4 Pt 1):041107.

University of Portland
Department of Physics
5000 N. Willamette Boulevard
Portland, OR 97203-5798
Tel: 503.943.7263
Email: breen@up.edu
Link: http://college.up.edu/physics/default.aspx?cid=5946&pid=914