Rate My Professor Cindy Linn

Dr. Cindy Linn serves as Professor of Biological Sciences in the Department of Biological Sciences at Western Michigan University. As a neurophysiologist, her research centers on the cellular mechanisms involved in visual processing in the vertebrate retina. A primary focus of her laboratory involves neuroprotection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, examined through an in vitro model of glaucoma. In these investigations, adult pig retinal ganglion cells are isolated from other retinal neurons and maintained in culture under conditions that induce excitotoxicity. Work from the laboratory has identified multiple α7 acetylcholine receptor agonists capable of preventing the death of retinal ganglion cells exposed to excitotoxic conditions. Mechanisms underlying excitotoxicity and neuroprotection are investigated through integrated pharmacological, immunocytochemical, electrophysiological, and ELISA methodologies.

Complementing the in vitro approaches, Linn has established a rat model of glaucoma utilizing adult Long Evans rats to evaluate neuroprotective agents on retinal ganglion cell survival under physiological conditions. In this model, glaucoma is induced in one eye, and candidate agents are delivered to the retina to assess their capacity to mitigate the typical loss of retinal ganglion cells. Additional studies examine risk factors linked to the glaucoma-induced state. Research conducted in Linn's laboratory receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. Her teaching interests encompass animal physiology, biology of sensory systems, first-year experience courses, and human physiology. Research interests include excitotoxicity, glaucoma and retina, and neurophysiology.