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Howard Wachtel received his doctoral degree in Physiology
and
Biophysics in 1967 under the direction of Prof.. Eric Kandel,
who recently (October, 2000) won the nobel prize in medicine
. Prof. Wachtel’s Ph.D. thesis, and his subsequent research
focus while on the Duke University faculty, dealt with synaptic
plasticity mechanisms, neural network organization and neural
signal processing.. His earlier education included a B.S.
in Electrical Engineering from Cooper Union and a M.S. in
Biomedical Engineering (BME) from Drexel University.
His dual interest in engineering and neurosciences has continued
throughout his academic career -- first at Duke University
where he held joint appointments in the Colleges of Engineering
(BME) and of Medicine (Physiology and Pharmacology) and, since
1981 at the University of Colorado where he has been Professor
of Electrical and Computer Engineering and also Professor
Attendant Rank of Physiology (UCHSC). Along with the late
Professor Marvin Luttges he developed the interdepartmental
"Neural Bioengineering sequence including courses in
"Brains, Minds and Computers," "Neural Signals,"
and "Neural Systems," which he still teaches regularly
in the ECE and the Aerospace Engineering departments.
In recent years, Professor Wachtel's research interests
have broadened out to include other BME related areas such
as bioelectromagnetics, epidemiology, and environmental sciences.
His interest in putative neural and other health related effects
of magnetic fields from power lines as well as other sources
of electromagnetic fields (e.g., cellular phones, RF transmitters)
continues along with related interests in other environmental
epidemiology issues--- such as traffic emissions associated
with increased cancer risks in children.
Prof. Wachtel’s interests in EMF health effects has
also led him, in recent years, full circle, back to explore
some basic neurophysiology issues - such as the exquisite
electrosensing system in sharks (and related elasmobranchs)
and a possible ion channel displacement basis for the reported
analgesic effects of high gradient magnetic fields. These
recent research efforts have been supported by a variety of
agencies including NSF, NASA, EPRI, and the Magnetic Health
Foundation of Japan (and earlier on by several NIH, ONR, FDA,
and EPA grants). interested in Most recently he has become
interested technological appproaches to Cognitive Dishabilities
and in exploring the biophysical basis of traumatic brain
injuries.
Selected Publications:
Howard Wachtel and Eric R Kandel, "A Direct Synaptic
Connection Mediating Both Inhibition and Excitation"
Science 158; 1206-1208, 1967.
Howard Wachtel and Eric R Kandel, "Conversion of Synaptic
Excitation to Inhibition at a Dual Chemicval Synapse"
J. Neurophysiology 34:56-68, 1971.
Wilkie A Wilson and Howard Wachtel, "Prolonged Inhibition
in Burst Firing Neurons; Synaptic inactivation of the Slow
RegenerAtive Inward Current" Science 202; 772-775, 1978.
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