We work at the last frontier of biology, the brain. Our research is directed in two NIH-supported areas: 1) Determine the coding of memory in engineered live neuronal networks reconstructed from the hippocampus 2) epigenetic and redox control of neuron metabolism, aging and Alzheimer disease (AD). We hypothesize that aging is the last stage of development controlled by epigenetics.

Corey, J.M., Wheeler, B.C., and Brewer, G.J. 1996. Micrometer resolution silane-based patterning of hippocampal neurons: critical variables in photoresist and laser ablation processes for substrate fabrication. IEEE Proc. 43:944-955.PM:9214810 (One of the first demonstrations that neuron growth could be restricted to arbitrary patterns on a substrate and that neuronal somata migrate to the nodes). Branch D.W., Corey J.M., Weyhenmeyer J.A., Brewer, G.J. and Wheeler, B.C. 1998. Microstamp patterns of biomolecules for high-resolution neuronal networks. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 36:135-141.PM:9614762 Wheeler, B C., Corey, J.M., Brewer, G.J. and Branch, D.W. 1999. Microcontact printing for precise control of nerve cell growth in culture. J. Biomech. Eng. 121:73-78.PM:10080092 Branch, D.W., Wheeler, B.C., Brewer, G.J. and Leckband, D.E. 2000. Long-term maintenance of patterns of hippocampal pyramidal cells on substrates of polyethylene glycol and microstamped polylysine. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 47:290-300.PM:10743770 Branch, D.W., Wheeler, B.C., Brewer, G.J. and Leckband,D.E. 2001. Long-term stability of grafted polyethylene glycol surfaces for use with microstamped substrates in neuronal cell culture. Biomaterials 22:1035-1047. PM:11352085 Chang, J.C., Wheeler, B.C. and Brewer, G.J. 2001. Microelectrode array recordings of patterned hippocampal neurons for four weeks. Biomedical Microdevices 2:245-253. (Process improvements for long-term viability). Chang, J.C., Brewer, G.J. and Wheeler, B.C. 2001. Modulation of neural network activity by patterning. Biosensors & Bioelec. 16:527-533.PM:11544046 Chang, J.C., Brewer, G.J.,Wheeler, B.C. 2003. A Modified Microstamping Technique Enhances Polylysine Transfer and Neuronal Cell Patterning. Biomaterials 24: 2863-2870.PM:12742724 (Process improvements to improve reliability). Nam, Y., Chang, J.C., Wheeler, B.C., Brewer, G.J. 2004. Gold-coated microelectrode array with thiol linked self-assembled monolayers for engineering neuronal circuits. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 51:158-165. PM:14723505 (Improved chemical stability of substrate over periods of weeks).