Richard W. Ordway

Education

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Medical School, 1990

B.A., Assumption College, 1984

Postdoctoral Training

University of Wisconsin, 1992-1995

Research Interests in Arts in Health and Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

The long-term focus of our research has been on genetic, cellular and molecular analysis of neural function in health and disease. After our work addressing the mechanisms of synaptic function led to new insights into the in vivo roles of key synaptic proteins, we had achieved our ambitious goals in this field and began exploring related topics including synapse-glia interactions and mechanisms of neurodegeneration.  The latter work led us to investigate the role of environmental stress on degenerative mechanisms and this, ultimately, converged with the a life-long interest in music and the arts and their role in creating the environment for a good and healthy life.  Most recently, our work has focused primarily on Arts in Health.  Below is a summary of this work followed by our earlier studies of synaptic transmission and neurotransmitter release.  Publications may be found using the Google Scholar link on this page.

Arts in Health

In light of a global crisis in mental health and insufficient resources to address it, one promising strategy is to optimize employment of existing community infrastructure, in the form of people and places, to promote wellbeing.  This approach is accessible, adaptable to specific community needs and resources, and may be implemented on a global scale.  One key to its effective application is to establish and promote best practices in using these resources to address mental health, which requires effective program assessment and optimization.   Our current research is collaborative and interdisciplinary, involving specialists with expertise in social sciences research, human stress biology, mental health, sustainability, and community service. By examining the impact of local arts- and nature-based programs on participants' mental health, as well as their attitudes and intentions with regard to community and self-care, we hope to inform, strengthen, and promote this general model for addressing mental health and facilitate its effective implementation in communities around the globe.

Genetic Analysis of Neural Function

Chemical synaptic transmission is the primary mechanism by which electrical signals are transmitted among nerve cells (neurons).  At the synapse, chemical neurotransmitter is released from the presynaptic (transmitting) neuron and acts through receptors on the postsynaptic (receiving) cell membrane. One interesting aspect of this process is the highly regulated and rapid form of exocytosis that is responsible for neurotransmitter release.  Although the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release remain incompletely understood, intensive work in the field has implicated numerous proteins. Ideally, the functions of these and additional proteins in the release process can be defined by specific perturbation of individual gene products, followed by in vivo functional analysis at native synapses. Our laboratory has utilized the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model experimental system in which synaptic mechanisms similar to those of vertebrates may be studied in vivo, using a powerful combination of genetic, molecular, biochemical, electrophysiological, and imaging approaches. Genetic screens identify mutants defective in synaptic transmission; molecular and biochemical studies identify, characterize, and manipulate the affected proteins; and electrophysiology, fluorescence microscopy and ultrastructural methods are used to investigate the in vivo function of the protein at native synapses.  Many of these studies have involved analysis of temperature-sensitive (TS) mutants which exhibit rapid paralysis and failure of synaptic transmission when exposed to elevated temperatures.  Such conditional mutants allow normal organismal development and function at permissive temperature, while permitting acute perturbation of a specific gene product in the mature animal. These features make TS paralytic mutants a unique and powerful tool for analyzing the in vivo physiological functions of specific proteins in synaptic transmission.

In addition to mechanisms of neurotransmitter release, our work has examined the role of perisynaptic glial cells in synaptic transmission.  Many synapses include not only presynaptic and postsynaptic elements, but also a glial cell process which contributes a third structural and functional component.  These tripartite synapses play critical roles in the nervous system and much remains to be learned about the functional contributions of glia.  Our genetic analysis of synaptic transmission extended to developing a tripartite synapse model in Drosophila.  Key discoveries include the evolutionary conservation of synaptic activity-induced glial calcium transients and identification of a new glial cell type, designated peripheral perisynaptic glia (PPG).  

Finally, characterization of these tripartite synapses contributed to development of a new experimental model for examining mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by environmental stress.  These studies identified both degenerative and protective mechanisms, including those involving intercellular (cell-nonautonomous) signaling.  These findings may help define the molecular basis of neurodegenerative processes and advance development of rational therapies to control them.