Greg D. Field

Assistant Professor of Neurobiology

My laboratory studies how the retina processes visual scenes and transmits this information to the brain.  We use multi-electrode arrays to record the activity of hundreds of retina neurons simultaneously in conjunction with transgenic mouse lines and chemogenetics to manipulate neural circuit function. We are interested in three major areas. First, we work to understand how neurons in the retina are functionally connected. Second we are studying how light-adaptation and circadian rhythms alter visual processing in the retina. Finally, we are working to understand the mechanisms of retinal degenerative conditions and we are investigating potential treatments in animal models.

Appointments and Affiliations

• Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
• Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
• Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Contact Information

• Office Location: Bryan Research Building, 311 Research Drive Room 427D, Durham, NC 27710
• Office Phone: (919) 681-7503
• Email Address: field@neuro.duke.edu

Education

• Ph.D. University of Washington, 2004

Research Interests

Study of the retina, using multi-electrode arrays to record retina neuron activity in conjunction with transgenic mouse lines and chemogenetics to manipulate neural circuit function. Field's laboratory is working to understand the mechanisms of retinal degenerative conditions and is investigating potential treatments in animal models.

Courses Taught

• NEUROBIO 720D: Circuits and Computation
• NEUROBIO 793: Research in Neurobiology
• NEUROBIO 795: Special Topics in Neuroscience
• NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
• NEUROSCI 494: Research Independent Study 2
• NEUROSCI 495: Research Independent Study 3
• NEUROSCI 496: Research Independent Study 4

In the News

• Eyes Have a Natural Version of Night Vision (Sep 13, 2018)

Representative Publications

• Johnson, EN; Westbrook, T; Shayesteh, R; Chen, EL; Schumacher, JW; Fitzpatrick, D; Field, GD, Distribution and diversity of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in tree shrew., The Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol 527 no. 1 (2019), pp. 328-344 [10.1002/cne.24377] [abs].
• Field, GD; Uzzell, V; Chichilnisky, EJ; Rieke, F, Temporal resolution of single-photon responses in primate rod photoreceptors and limits imposed by cellular noise., Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 121 no. 1 (2019), pp. 255-268 [10.1152/jn.00683.2018] [abs].
• Ravi, S; Ahn, D; Greschner, M; Chichilnisky, EJ; Field, GD, Pathway-Specific Asymmetries between ON and OFF Visual Signals., The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, vol 38 no. 45 (2018), pp. 9728-9740 [10.1523/jneurosci.2008-18.2018] [abs].
• Yao, X; Cafaro, J; McLaughlin, AJ; Postma, FR; Paul, DL; Awatramani, G; Field, GD, Gap Junctions Contribute to Differential Light Adaptation across Direction-Selective Retinal Ganglion Cells., Neuron, vol 100 no. 1 (2018), pp. 216-228.e6 [10.1016/j.neuron.2018.08.021] [abs].
• Ray, TA; Roy, S; Kozlowski, C; Wang, J; Cafaro, J; Hulbert, SW; Wright, CV; Field, GD; Kay, JN, Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact., Elife, vol 7 (2018) [10.7554/eLife.34241] [abs].