Luke Remage-Healey

Assistant Professor

Research areas include neuroscience, neuromodulation, neurochemistry, and behavior.

Current Research
Our lab is focused on the study of behavioral physiology, specifically the non-classical regulation of brain function and behavior by steroid hormones. Steroids are produced within discrete neural circuits ('neurosteroids') and can therefore influence behavior via local and acute actions within those circuits. We study these phenomena in songbirds using a variety of technical approaches including in vivo microdialysis, electrophysiology, immunocytochemistry, and neuropharmacology. Songbirds offer a unique model system in which brain steroid production is widespread and especially pronounced, and in which the development and expression of a suite of social behaviors is accessible in the laboratory and natural environments.

Learn more at www.umass.edu/healeylab/

Academic Background

BS Biology Tufts University
PhD Neurobiology and Behavior Cornell University
Postdoctoral Training: NIH Postdoctoral Fellow UCLA

Publications

Gervais, N.J., Remage-Healey, L, Starrett, J.R.*, Pollak, D.J.*, Mong, J.A., and Lacreuse, A. (2018) Aromatase inhibition compromises thermoregulation, memory and CA1 intrinsic excitability in monkeys. In press Journal of Neuroscience.

Krentzel, A.A., Macedo-Lima, M., Ikeda, M.Z. and Remage-Healey, L. (2018) A membrane g-protein coupled estrogen receptor is necessary but not sufficient for sex-differences in songbird auditory encoding. Endocrinology 159(3) 1360-1376

Lee, V.S.*, Pawlisch B.A., Macedo-Lima, M., and Remage-Healey, L. (2018) Norepinephrine enhances the responses and coding of song in the auditory forebrain of male zebra finches. Journal of Neurophysiology. Jan 1;119(1):209-220.

Hedges, V.L., Chen, G., Yu, L., Krentzel, A.A., Starrett, J.R.*, Zhu, JN., Suntharalingam, P., Remage-Healey, L., Wang, J.J., Ebner, T.J., and Mermelstein, P.G. (2018) Local Estrogen Synthesis is Essential for Parallel Fiber-Purkinje Cell Neurotransmission within the Cerebellar Cortex. Endocrinology 159 (3) 1328-1338.

Vahaba, D.M. and Remage-Healey, L. (2018) Neuroestrogens rapidly shape auditory circuits to support communication learning and perception: Evidence from songbirds. Hormones and Behavior. In press.

Remage-Healey, L. Choleris, E., and Balthazart, J. (2018) Rapid effects of steroids in the brain: Introduction to special issue. Hormones and Behavior. In press

Balthazart, J., Choleris, E., and Remage-Healey, L. (2018) Steroids and the brain: 50 years of research, conceptual shifts and the ascent of non-classical and membrane-initiated actions. Hormones and Behavior. 99:1-8

Moseley, D.L., Joshi, N.R.*, Prather, J.F., Podos, J., and Remage-Healey, L. (2017) A neuronal signature of accurate imitative learning. Scientific Reports Dec 11;7(1):17320.

Vahaba, D.V., Macedo-Lima, M., and Remage-Healey, L. (2017) Sensory coding and sensitivity to local estrogens shift during critical period milestones in the auditory cortex of male songbirds. eNeuro. Dec 12;4(6). pii: ENEURO.0317-17.2017.

Ikeda, M.Z.^, Krentzel, A.A., Scarpa, G.B*, Oliver T.J*. and Remage-Healey, L. (2017) Clustered organization and region-specific identities of estrogen-producing neurons in the forebrain of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Journal of Comparative Neurology. 525(17):3636-3652

Remage-Healey, L. Krentzel, A.A., Macedo-Lima M., and Vahaba D (2017) Species Diversity Matters in Biological Research. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 4 (2), 210-218

Luke Remage-Healey

Institute for Applied Life Sciences