Dr. Paul J. May

Paul J. May, Ph.D.

Professor of Anatomy
Professor of Ophthalmology
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Department of Anatomy
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505 

Office Telephone: 601-984-1662
                  601-984-1640
Department FAX:   601-984-1655
: pmay@anatomy.umsmed.edu
Research and Teaching Interests

The general experimental theme of the laboratory is the study of gaze control utilizing anatomical and, in some cases, physiological methods. Dual input-output labeling techniques have been pioneered in this laboratory to support this investigation on the light and electron microscopic level. In addition, intra- and extracellular physiological methods and apparatus are available to allow physiological investigation where appropriate. There are ongoing investigations in a number of areas concerning gaze control:

  1. Control of movements of the eyes, head and eyelids by the superior colliculus. Both the input-output relationships of superior colliculus and the relationship of collicular projections to cell populations in the horizontal and vertical gaze centers have been and are being studied. The emphasis is on determining the morphology and laminar location of relevant collicular neurons and the synaptic relationships, both within the superior colliculus and between collicular axons and target neurons.
  2. Neuronal circuitry controlling the lens and pupil is being elucidated. Neuroanatomical tracers have been used to determine the circuits controlling the pupillary light reflex, and are being applied to identify the circuits controlling the near reflex components, i.e., ciliary muscle for lens accommodation, medial rectus muscle for vergence and sphincter pupillae muscle for pupillary constriction.
  3. Determination of the premotor circuitry underlying the blink reflex. The act of blinking is a simple reflex activity that has become important in various learning paradigms and has clinical relevance as well. However the circuits that support this reflex are poorly understood. This investigation is utilizing dual labeling of inputs and outputs to define blink circuits at the light and electron microscopic level. In parallel experiments, the activity of neurons in the blink circuits are being investigated electrophysiologically.

I am trained to teach in all components of the Anatomy curriculum. Current teaching responsibilities are chiefly in Medical Histology. I have been the thesis advisor for three Ph.D. and one M.S. candidate.

 

EDUCATION

A.B., Brown Univ., Providence, R.I. 1976
(Biology and English Literature)

Ph.D., Duke Univ., Durham, N.C. 1983 (Anatomy)
Dissertation Title: The Motor Colliculus: Its Morphology and Inputs
Thesis advisor: William C. Hall, Ph.D.

Post Doctoral Fellow 1983-86
Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics
New York Univ. Med. Ctr.
550 First Ave.
New York, N.Y. 10016
(Mentor: Robert Baker, Ph.D.)

 

GRANTS

NIH Biological Systems Training Grant 1977-80

NEI Post Doctoral Fellowship (EY05689) 1983-86
Colliculoreticular Relationships Underlying Eye Movement
Mentor: Robert Baker,Ph.D.

NEI First Award (EY07166) 1987-92
Neuronal Circuitry Controlling the Lens and Pupil ($ 219,941.00)

NEI Small Inst. Prog. Coinvest. (EY08440) 1989-90

NEI RO1 Grant (EY09762) 1993-97
Neuronal Circuitry Controlling the Extrinsic Eye Muscles ($ 221,426.00)

Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation Grant 1998-99

Physiology of Blink Circuits in an Awake Behaving Monkey ($ 20,484- Direct)
Co-PI, PI: Susan Warren, University of Mississippi Medical Center

NIH RO1 Grant (NS37931) 2000-04
Physiology and Anatomy of Zona Incerta ($598,000- Direct)
Co-PI; P: Rick C.-S. Lin, PhD , University of Mississippi Medical Center

University of Mississipp  Medical Center Intramural Grant 2001-2
Alzheimer's Neurotoxicity in the Edinger-Westphal Nucleus ($12,023)

NSF Grant (IBN-013954) 2002-5
Synaptic Organization of the Primate Pulvinar ($81,505 - Direct)
Co-PI, PI: Martha Bickford, PhD, University of Louisville

NEI RO1 Grant (EY014263) 2003-7
Midbrain Circuitry for Neuronal Control of Gaze ($800,000 - Direct)

PUBLICATIONS

PAPERS

  1. May, Paul J. and William C. Hall. Relationships between the nigrotectal pathway and the cells of origin of the predorsal bundle. J. Comp. Neurol. 226: 357-376 (1984).
  2. Lin, Chia-Sheng, Paul J. May and William C. Hall. Nonintralaminar thalamostriatal projections in the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and tree shrew (Tupaia glis). J. Comp. Neurol. 230: 33-46 (1984).
  3. May, P. J. and W. C. Hall. The sources of the nigrotectal pathway. Neuroscience 19: 159-180 (1986).
  4. May, P. J. and W. C. Hall. The cerebellotectal pathway in the grey squirrel. Exp. Brain Res. 65: 200-212 (1986).
  5. May, Paul J., Harriet Baker, Pierre-Paul Vidal, Robert F. Spencer and Robert Baker. Morphology and distribution of serotoninergic and oculomotor internuclear neurons in the cat midbrain. J. Comp. Neurol. 266: 150-170 (1987).
  6. Vidal, Pierre-Paul, Paul J. May and Robert Baker. Synaptic organization of the tectal-facial pathways in the cat. I. Synaptic potentials following collicular stimulation. J. Neurophysiol. 60: 769-797 (1988).
  7. Porter, John D., Leigh Ann Burns and Paul J. May. The morphological substrate for eyelid movements: Innervation and structure of primate levator palpebrae superioris and orbicularis oculi muscles. J. Comp. Neurol. 287: 64-81 (1989).
  8. May, Paul J., Pierre-Paul Vidal and Robert Baker. Synaptic organization of the tectal-facial pathways in the cat. II. Synaptic potentials following midbrain tegmentum stimulation. J. Neurophysiol. 64: 381-402 (1990).
  9. May, Paul J., Rosi Hartwich-Young, Jon Nelson, David L. Sparks and John D. Porter. Cerebellotectal pathways in the macaque: Implications for collicular generation of saccades. Neuroscience 36: 305-324 (1990).
  10. Haines, Duane E., Paul J. May and Espen Dietrichs. Neuronal connections between the cerebellar nuclei and hypothalamus in Macaca fascicularis: Cerebello-visceral circuits. J. Comp. Neurol. 299: 106-122 (1990).
  11. May, Paul J., John D. Porter and Paul Gamlin. Interconnections between the cerebellum and midbrain near response regions. J. Comp. Neurol. 315: 98-116 (1992).
  12. May, Paul J. and John D. Porter. The laminar distribution of macaque tectobulbar and tectospinal neurons. Visual Neuroscience 8: 257-76 (1992).
  13. May, Paul J. and Susan Warren. Ultrastructure of the macaque ciliary ganglion. J. Neurocytol. 22: 1073-1095 (1993).
  14. Sun, Wensi and Paul J. May. Organization of the extraocular and preganglionic motoneurons supplying the orbit in the lesser galago. Anat. Rec. 237: 89-103 (1993).
  15. Sun, Wensi, Jonathan T. Erichsen and Paul J. May. NADPH-Diaphorase reactivity in ciliary ganglion neurons: A comparison of distributions in the pidgeon, cat and monkey. Visual Neuroscience 11: 1027-1031 (1994).
  16. Baker, Robert S., Michael W. Stava, Kevin R. Nelson, Paul J. May, Mark D. Huffman, John D. Porter. Aberrant reinervation of facial musculature in a subhuman primate: A correlative analysis of eyelid kinematics, muscle synkinesis and motoneuronal localization. Neurology 44: 2165-2173 (1994).
  17. May, Paul J. Brainstem Pathways Controlling Lid Movements. Invited article in the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Newsletter. Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 6-7 (1995).
  18. May, Paul J., Wensi Sun and William C. Hall. Reciprocal connections between the zona incerta and the pretectum and superior colliculus of the cat. Neuroscience 77: 1091-1114 (1997).
  19. May, Paul J. and John D. Porter. (1998) The distribution of primary afferent terminals from the eyelids of macaque monkeys.  Experimental Brain Research 123: 368-381.
  20. Chen, Bingzhong and Paul J. May. (2000) The feedback circuit connecting the superior colliculus and central mesencephalic reticular formation: A direct morphological demonstration.   Experimental Brain Research 131: 10-21.
  21. Erichsen, Jonathan T. and Paul J. May. (2002) The pupillary and ciliary components of the cat  Edinger-Westphal nucleus: A trans-synaptic transport Investigation. Visual Neuroscience 19: 15-29.
  22. Chen, Bingzhong and Paul J. May. (2002) Premotor control of eyelid movements in conjunction with vertical saccades in the cat: The rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus.  J. Comp. Neurol.  450: 183-202.
  23. Lohmeier, Thomas E., Justin R. Lohmeier, Susan Warren, Paul J. May and J. Thomas Cunningham. (2002) Sustained activation of the central baroreceptor pathway in angiotensin hypertension. Hypertension 39: 550-6.

BOOK CHAPTERS


  1. Hall, William C. and Paul J. May. The anatomical basis for sensorimotor transformations in the superior colliculus. In: Contributions to Sensory Physiology, edited by W.D. Neff, Academic Press, New York, Vol. 8: 1-40 (1983).
  2. May, Paul J, William C. Hall, John D. Porter and Sharleen T. Sakai. The comparative anatomy of nigral and cerebellar control over tectally initiated orienting movements. In: Role of the Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia in Voluntary Movement, edited by N. Mano, I. Hamada and M.R. DeLong, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 221-231.
  3. May, Paul J. and James J. Corbett. Visual Motor Systems. In: Fundamental Neuroscience, Textbook edited by D. E. Haines, Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp. 399-426 (1997).
  4. Mihailoff, Gregory A., Paul J. May and Duane E. Haines. The Midbrain. In: Fundamental Neuroscience, Textbook edited by D. E. Haines, Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp. 177-188 (1997).
  5. May, Paul J. and Susan Warren. (2000) Brainstem Pathways Controlling Lid Closure. In: Benign Essential Blepharospasm Newsletter. Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 3-4.
  6. May, Paul J. (2001) Superior Colliculus. In: The Encyclopedia of Neurological Sciences. Edited by M.J. Aminoff and R.B. Daroff, Academic Press. 
  7. May, Paul J., Robert G. Baker and Bingzhong Chen (2002) The Eyelid Levator Muscle: Servant of Two Masters. Movement Disorders 17, pp.S4-S7.
  8. May, Paul J. and James J. Corbett. (2001) Visual Motor Systems.  In Fundamental Neuroscience, 2'nd Edition, Textbook edited by D. E. Haines, Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp. 399-426.
  9. Mihailoff, Gregory A., Paul J. May and Duane E. Haines. (2001) The Midbrain. In: Fundamental Neuroscience, 2'nd Edition, Textbook edited by D. E. Haines, Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp. 177-188.
  10. May, Paul J., Susan Warren, Bingzhong Chen, Frances J.R. Richmond and Etienne Olivier (2002) Midbrain Reticular Formation Circuitry Subserving Gaze in the Cat. In: Neurobiology of Eye Movements. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 956, Edited by H.J. Kaminsky and R.J. Leigh. New York, pp.405-408.

RECENT ABSTRACTS

 

1.     P.J. May, N.F. Wright, R.C.-S. Lin and J.T. Erichsen. (2000) Light and electron microscopic features of medial rectus C-subgroup motoneurons in macaques suggest near triad specialization. Invest. Ophthal. and Vis. Sci. 41:S820.

2.     S.R. Bulle, S. Warren and P.J. May. (2000) An ultrastructural analysis of trigeminothalamic terminal arbors in the monkey. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 26: 1686.

3.     P.J. May and S. Warren. (2000) Physiology and anatomy of blink circuits in macaque monkeys. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 26:1992.

4.     R.C.S. Lin, K.L. Simpson and  P.J. May. (2000) Comparative anatomy of the locus coeruleus: A light and electron microscopic examination. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 26: 1429.

5.     M.E. Bickford, W.B. Carden, M.A. Eisenbach, P.J. May and E.C. Muly. (2000) Synaptic organization of corticothalamic terminals in the pulvinar nucleus of the cat and monkey. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 26: 1469.

6.     P.J. May, B. Chen and S.Warren (2000) The physiology and anatomy of eyelid control circuits in the cat and macaque brainstem. BEBRF Brainstorming Workshop, Washington, DC.

7.     P.J. May, F.J.R. Richmond and D.M. Waitzman (2001) The macaque cMRF reticulospinal head control pathway. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 27: 1073.

8.     May, P.J. and J.D. Fratkin. (2002) Identification of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus in primates by means of multiple markers. Invest. Ophthal. and Vis. Sci. 43:

9.     Warren, S., J. D. Dickman, D. Angelaki and P. J. May (2002)  Diverse Inputs to the Primate Thalamic Intralaminar Nuclei. Multisensory Interactions Subserving Orienting Behavior p. 23.

10. Perkins, E. T.Y. Wang, S. Warren, R.C.S. Lin and P.J. May. (2002) Cortical Projections upon incertotectal neurons in the cat. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 28:

11. May, P.J. and J.D. Fratkin (2002) Chemoidentification of components of the oculomotor complex in macaque and man. Soc. Neurosci. Abst. 28:

 

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