Rate My Professor Barbara Logan

Barbara Logan dedicated 50 years to the University of Otago as a research technician in the Department of Psychology, within the Division of Sciences, before retiring around 2022. Her long-standing commitment supported cutting-edge neuroscience research, particularly investigations into synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), and related mechanisms in the hippocampus. Logan provided essential technical assistance in laboratory procedures, including brain sectioning, immunohistochemistry, perfusion techniques, and electrophysiological recordings, enabling high-quality experimental outcomes in rodent models of learning and memory.

Associated with 39 publications and over 1,338 citations, Logan's contributions amplified the impact of collaborative work with leading researchers such as Professor Wickliffe C. Abraham. Notable publications include 'Induction and Experience-Dependent Consolidation of Stable Synaptic Modifications in the Dentate Gyrus' (Journal of Neuroscience, 2002, cited by 508), which examined the persistence of LTP under experiential conditions. Other key papers are 'Low-frequency stimulation does not readily cause long-term depression in the dentate gyrus of awake rats' (Brain Research, 1996, cited by 72), 'Enriched environment exposure regulates excitability, synaptic transmission, and LTP in the dentate gyrus of freely moving rats' (Journal of Neurophysiology, 2006, cited by 75), 'Temporal Profiling of Gene Networks Associated with the Late Phase of Long-term Potentiation In Vivo' (PLoS One, 2012, cited by 79), 'Enhanced hippocampal neuronal excitability and LTP persistence in a mouse model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy' (Journal of Neuroscience, 2013, cited by 64), 'Hippocampal synaptic transmission and LTP in vivo are intact following bilateral vestibular deafferentation in the rat' (2010, cited by 22), and 'Bilateral histone deacetylase 1 and 2 activity and enrichment-induced metaplasticity in the dentate gyrus in vivo' (Hippocampus, 2021, cited by 7). These works advanced understanding of neural plasticity, gene expression dynamics, environmental influences on excitability, and epigenetic factors in metaplasticity, with implications for memory disorders and epilepsy. Her meticulous support fostered influential research from the Abraham lab and others, contributing to the department's reputation in cognitive neuroscience. The Department of Sciences acknowledged her retirement with appreciation for her enduring service and interpersonal warmth on campus.