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| Centre College Faculty | |
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Telephone: 859-238-5318 |
| Steve Asmus was appointed Dowling Associate Professor of Biology in 2003. He has taught in the biology and biochemistry/molecular biology programs since 1996 and is a past Centre Scholar. Prior to joining the college, he held a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University.
Asmus has special expertise in the field of developmental neurobiology, which focuses on how the brain develops. He describes his research as a study of the development of neurons, which are specialized types of cells found in the nervous system. The neurons produce chemicals known as neurotransmitters that make it possible for the neurons to communicate with each other. Asmus is interested in how neurons produce the correct neurotransmitter during development. He has analyzed the neurotransmitters produced in developing sympathetic neurons, addressing the question of whether different target tissues influence this "decision" process during development. Asmus strongly encourages Centre students to collaborate with him on research. His recent collaborators include Mark Ball (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology '06) from Harlan, Ky., Angie Bohnen (Biology '06) from Marathon, Fla., Cindy Hartley (Biology '06) from Elizabethtown, Ky., Kevin Phelps Asmus has authored or co-authored professional papers in journals including Developmental Biology (1997 and 2001) and the Journal of Neuroscience (2000). The J. Neuroscience paper was co-authored with a student collaborator, Sarah Parsons (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology '00) from Lexington. Asmus earned a B.S. degree from Cleveland State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and conducted a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University before coming to Centre. College news contact: Communications Office File last updated: |