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Erich David Jarvis

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Neurobiology
Neurobiology
Box 3209 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
the Rockefeller University, Box 54, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065

Overview


Dr. Jarvis' laboratory studies the neurobiology of vocal communication. Emphasis is placed on the molecular pathways involved in the perception and production of learned vocalizations. They use an integrative approach that combines behavioral, anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques. The main animal model used is songbirds, one of the few vertebrate groups that evolved the ability to learn vocalizations. The generality of the discoveries is tested in other vocal learning orders, such as parrots and hummingbirds, as well as non-vocal learners, such as pigeons and non-human primates. Some of the questions require performing behavior/molecular biology experiments in freely ranging animals, such as hummingbirds in tropical forest of Brazil. Recent results show that in songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds, perception and production of song are accompanied by anatomically distinct patterns of gene expression. All three groups were found to exhibit vocally-activated gene expression in exactly 7 forebrain nuclei that are very similar to each other. These structures for vocal learning and production are thought to have evolved independently within the past 70 million years, since they are absent from interrelated non-vocal learning orders. One structure, Area X of the basal ganglia's striatum in songbirds, shows large differential gene activation depending on the social context in which the bird sings. These differences may reflect a semantic content of song, perhaps similar to human language.

The overall goal of the research is to advance knowledge of the neural mechanisms for vocal learning and basic mechanisms of brain function. These goals are further achieved by combined collaborative efforts with the laboratories of Drs. Mooney and Nowicki at Duke University, who study respectively behavior and electrophysiological aspects of songbird vocal communication.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Adjunct Professor in the Department of Neurobiology · 2017 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2008 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published February 15, 2016
There are 125 Kakapos Left in the World. Duke Genetic Scientists Are Helping Them
Published January 7, 2016
Surviving As An Underrepresented Minority Scientist
Published January 6, 2016
Surviving as an Underrepresented Minority Scientist

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Recent Publications


Single-cell long-read sequencing-based mapping reveals specialized splicing patterns in developing and adult mouse and human brain.

Journal Article Nat Neurosci · June 2024 RNA isoforms influence cell identity and function. However, a comprehensive brain isoform map was lacking. We analyze single-cell RNA isoforms across brain regions, cell subtypes, developmental time points and species. For 72% of genes, full-length isoform ... Full text Link to item Cite

A genomic basis of vocal rhythm in birds.

Journal Article Nat Commun · April 23, 2024 Vocal rhythm plays a fundamental role in sexual selection and species recognition in birds, but little is known of its genetic basis due to the confounding effect of vocal learning in model systems. Uncovering its genetic basis could facilitate identifying ... Full text Link to item Cite

A region of suppressed recombination misleads neoavian phylogenomics.

Journal Article Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · April 9, 2024 Genomes are typically mosaics of regions with different evolutionary histories. When speciation events are closely spaced in time, recombination makes the regions sharing the same history small, and the evolutionary history changes rapidly as we move along ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Basic predoctoral training in neuroscience

Inst. Training Prgm or CMETraining Faculty · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1992 - 2018

Center for Molecular & Cellular Studies of Ped Disease

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2003 - 2018

HARDAC+:Reproducible HPC for next-generation genomics

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2016 - 2017

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Education, Training & Certifications


Rockefeller University · 1995 Ph.D.