Faculty and Staff

Dr. John Archie Pollock
Associate Professor

Carnegie Science Award 2011
Special Recognition in Science Education

Ph.D. Biophysics, Syracuse University, 1984
M.S. Physics, Syracuse University, 1983
B.S. Physics, Syracuse University, 1978

Office Phone: 412.396.5565
Cell Phone: 412.855.4043
Email: pollock@duq.edu

Molecular Neurobiology

My research is focused on the basic biology of the nervous system.

One project looks at the development of nerve cells in the fruit fly eye. We have found that the RUNX1 transcription factor, LOZENGE, initially influence cells with undetermined fates to choose survival over death. We have also found that LOZENGE proteins contribute to how a cell chooses a specific fate. We are investigating what genes regulate lozenge and in turn, what LOZENGE protein specifically regulates during axon growth and guidance. Our research uses a combination of confocal microscopy techniques as well as quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis of mRNA expression among other approaches.

New research directions include the analysis of TRP (calcium channel) in the context of a rat chronic pain model. The extensive family of TRP related proteins are intimately involved in pain physiology. As Co-Director of the newly formed Chronic Pain Research Consortium (http://www.duq.edu/pain), I am collaborating with Dr. Jelena Janjc (Mylan School of Pharmacy). We are using small animal imaging to co-localize the immune system response to chronic pain and changes in TRP expression.

Partnerships in Education

As Director of the Partnership in Education I strive to create a strong and accessible scientific dialogue between the research community and the general public and classroom. To achieve this, I create informal science education pieces for use in museums including planetariums shows, exhibits, interactive media and supporting teacher resource materials (www.sepa.duq.edu). Research evaluates how effective the new learning tools are as well as how people learn. Topics have included tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and the fundamental principles of evolution (www.sepa.duq.edu/darwin). Collaborative partners have included the Carnegie Science Center, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, The National Aviary, The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Public School, and American Philosophical Society Museum-Philadelphia.

I have also created a children's television show called Scientastic! (www.ScientasticTV.com). Scientastic has been broadcast on WQED (Pittsburgh's PBS affiliate). Additional episodes for the series are in production.

Project funding has come from Science Education Partnership Awards from the National Center for Research Resources (NIH), and from the US Department of Education, The Pittsburgh Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation and UPMC Health Plan.

Recent Publications

A. Wilson, L. Gonzalez, J. A. Pollock (2012) Evaluating learning and attitudes on tissue engineering: A study of children viewing animated digital dome shows detailing the biomedicine of tissue engineering. Tissue Engineering (Part A), in press March 2012. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:21943030

J. Ricou, J. A. Pollock (2012) The Tree, The Spiral And The Web of Life: A Visual Exploration. Leonardo Journal, Volume 45, No. 1, 18-25. Download from Leonardo Journal

J. Ricou, D. Commisso, L. Gonzalez, J. A. Pollock (2011) The Evolution Of Evolution: The Tree, The Spiral And The Web of Life, International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Volume 2, Issue 4, 554 - 557. Download

K. Lawrence, C. Stilley, J.A. Pollock, D. Webber, E. Quivers (2011) A family-centered educational program to promote independence in pediatric heart transplant recipients. Progress in Transplantation, Vol 21. March 2011. Download

N.A. Siddall, G.R. Hime, J.A. Pollock, P. Batterham (2009) Ttk69-dependent regulation of lozenge expression is necessary for correct R7 differentiation in the developing eye of Drosophila melanogaster. Biomed Central: Developmental Biology Dec 9; 9:64.

J.P. McKay, B. Nightingale and J.A. Pollock (2008) Helmsman is expressed in both trachea and Photoreceptor development; partial inactivation alters trachea morphology and visually guided behavior. Journal of Neurogenetics, Apr-Jun;22(2):1. Download

S. Sethi, W. Adams, J.A. Pollock and P.A. Witt-Enderby (2008) C-terminal domains within human MT(1) and MT(2) melatonin receptors are involved in internalization processes. J Pineal Res. 2008 Mar 13. Download

K. Behan, J. Fair, S. Singh, M. Bogwitz, T. Perry, V. Grubor, F. Cunningham, C. Nichols, T. Cheung, P. Batterham and J.A. Pollock (2005) Alternative splicing removes an Ets interaction domain from Lozenge during Drosophila eye development. Dev Genes Evol. 215:423-435. Download

N. Siddall, K.J. Behan, N., J.R. Crew, T.L. Cheung, J.A. Fair, P. Batterham, and J.A. Pollock (2003) Mutations in lozenge and D-Pax2 invoke ectopic patterned cell death in the developing Drosophila eye using distinct mechanisms. Dev Genes Evol 213:107-119. Download

K.J. Behan, C.D. Nichols, T. L. Cheung, A. Farlow, B. M. Hogan P. Batterham and JA Pollock (2002) Yan regulates Lozenge during Drosophila eye development. Dev Genes Evol, 212:267-276. Download

Selected Publications Before 1999

J.R. Crew, P. Batterham, and J.A. Pollock (1997) Developing compound eye in lozenge mutants of Drosophila: lozenge expression in the R7 equivalence group. Development Genes and Evolution 206, 481-493. Download

B. Gillo, I. Chorna, H. Cohen, B. Cook, I. Manistersky, O. Devary, A. Arnon, A. Baumann, U.B. Kaupp, J.A. Pollock, Z. Selinger and B. Minke (1996) Co-expression of Drosophila TRP and TRPL in Xenopus oocytes reconstitutes a capacitative Ca 2+ entry similar to the light-activated conductance. PNAS USA 93, 14146-14151. Download

M. E. Martone, J. A. Pollock, Y. Yhang, Y. and M. H. Ellisman (1996) Ultrastructural localization of dendritic messenger RNA in adult rat hippocampus. J. Neuroscience 16: 7437-7446. Download

J.A. Pollock, A. Asaf, A. Peretz, C. Nichols, M.H. Mojet, R.C. Hardie and B. Minke (1995) TRP, a protein essential for inositide-mediated Ca2+ influx is localized adjacent to the calcium stores in Drosophila photoreceptors. J. Neurosci. 15, 3747 3760. Download

R. C. Hardie, A. Peretz, J. A. Pollock, B. Minke (1993) Ca2+ Limits the Development of the Light Response in Drosophila Photoreceptors. Proceedings of the Royal Society London B.252, 223-229.

B. Rudy, C. Kentros, M. Weiser, D. Fruhling, P. Serodio, E. Vega-Saenz de Miera, M. H. Ellisman, J. A. Pollock, H. Baker (1992) Region-Specific Expression of a K+ channel gene in Brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 89, 4603 - 4607.

D. R. Hyde, K. L. Mecklenburg, J. A. Pollock, T. Vihtelic, Seymour Benzer (1990) Twenty Drosophila Visual System cDNA Clones: One Is A Homologue Of Human Arrestin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 87, 1008-1012.

J.A. Pollock and Seymour Benzer (1988) Transcript Localization of Four Opsin Genes In the Three Visual Organs in Drosophila; RH2 is Ocellus Specific. Nature 333, 779-782.

U. Banerjee, P. J. Renfranz, J. A. Pollock, Seymour Benzer (1987) Molecular Characterization and Expression of sevenless, a Gene Involved in Neural Pattern Formation in the Drosophila Eye. Cell 49, 281-291.