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Pomona College:
Pomona College
Department of Biology
Jonathan Matsui
Assistant Professor of Biology
Contact Information
Seaver Biology South Building, Room 217
175 W Sixth Street
Claremont, CA 91711
909-607-0880
jonathan.matsui@pomona.edu
Lab Website
Education
Ph.D. Washington University in St. Louis, Neuroscience
B.S. University of Washington, Seattle, Zoology with Distinction (Major), Medical History and Ethics (Minor)
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor of Biology, Pomona College
Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Staff Scientist, Children's Hospital Boston
Concentration Advisor in Neurobiology, Harvard University
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
Research Fellow, Children's Hospital Boston
Courses
Neuroscience 101: Introduction to Neuroscience
Neuroscience 110: Developmental Neurobiology
Research Interests
When sensory receptors in the eye (photoreceptors) and the ear (sensory hair cells) die through environmental stresses (e.g. certain drugs and listening to the iPod too loudly for too long), normal aging and genetics, this often causes irreversible blindness and deafness in humans. By understanding how these sensory receptors die, therapeutics may be designed to prevent their loss. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, this may not be practical. Regenerating these sensory receptors may be needed in order to help restore the lost senses. Non-mammalian vertebrates are capable of regenerating their sensory hair cells so understanding why the zebrafish (Danio rerio) found in many pet stores are capable of regenerating sensory hair cells may lead to therapies and restore the lost senses in humans.
Selected Publications
Li, Y.N., J.I. Matsui, and J.E. Dowling. 2009. Specificity of the horizontal cell-photoreceptor connections in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) retina.
J Comp Neurol. 516:442-53.
Song, P.I.*, J.I. Matsui, and J.E. Dowling. 2008. Morphological types and connectivity of horizontal cells found in the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) retina. J. Comp. Neurol. 506:328-38.
Duncan, L.J.*, D.A. Mangiardi , J.I. Matsui, J.K. Anderson, K. McLaughlin-Williamson, and D.A. Cotanche. 2006. Differential expression of unconventional myosins in apoptotic and regenerating chick hair cells confirms two regeneration mechanisms. J. Comp. Neurol. 499:691-701.
Matsui, J.I.†, A.L. Egana†, T.R. Sponholtz, A.R. Adolph, and J.E. Dowling. 2006. Effects of ethanol on photoreceptors and visual function in developing zebrafish. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 47:4589-97.
Matsui, J.I., A. Haque, D. Huss, E.P. Messana, J.A. Alosi, D.W. Roberson, D.A. Cotanche, J.D. Dickman, and M.E. Warchol. 2003. Caspase inhibitors promote vestibular hair cell survival and function after aminoglycoside treatment in vivo. J. Neurosci. 23:6111-22.
Matsui J.I., J.M. Ogilvie, and M.E. Warchol. 2002. Inhibition of caspases prevents ototoxic and ongoing hair cell death. J Neurosci. 22:1218-27.
*Undergraduate co-author
†Authors contributed equally