Ronald William Skelton p.20
CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME: Ronald William SKELTON
CITIZENSHIP: Canadian
CURRENT POSITION
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Victoria
Box 3050
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 3P5
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
B.Sc. (Honours: Biology & Psychology) 1973 Bishop's University
Lennoxville, Quebec
M.A. (Experimental Psychology) 1978 Concordia University
Supervisor: P. Shizgal Montreal, Quebec
Area: Behavioural neurophysiology of motivation
Thesis: "Motivational effects of parametric manipulations of electrical brain stimulation of the rat lateral hypothalamus."
Ph.D. (Physiological Psychology) 1982 Univ. of British Columbia
Supervisor: A.G. Phillips Vancouver, B.C.
Additional supervision: D.M. Wilkie (Psychology), J.J. Miller (Physiology)
Area: Neurophysiology of learning and memory
Thesis: "Long-term potentiation and discrimination learning"
POSITIONS HELD
1982-1984 NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow,
with Richard F. Thompson, Stanford University
1984-1994 Assistant Professor, NSERC University Research Fellow,
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria
1994-1997 Assistant Professor, with tenure
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria
1997- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria
2000 Acting Assistant Dean and Director, Advising Centre for Humanities, Science and Social Sciences (Jul-Dec)
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Areas of Research
1973-74 Animal models of epilepsy and alcoholism. Research assistant for J.P.J. Pinel, U.B.C.
1974-76 Neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of ingestive behaviours and reinforcement. Research assistant for R.A.Wise, Concordia University.
1976-77 Neurophysiology of positive and negative reinforcement. M.A. student, Concordia University, P. Shizgal supervisor.
1977-82 Neurophysiology of learning: The contribution of hippocampal synaptic plasticity to operant conditioning. Ph.D. student, U.B.C., A.G. Phillips supervisor, D.M. Wilkie (Psychology) and J.J. Miller (Physiology) co-supervisors.
1983-84 Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of learning: The role of the deep cerebellar nuclei in rabbit eyelid conditioning. NSERC post-doctoral fellow, Stanford University. R.F. Thompson, principle investigator.
1984-90 Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of learning: The role of synaptic plasticity in learning. Analysis of the contribution of the cerebellar nuclei to eyelid conditioning, and the hippocampus to spatial learning. NSERC University Research Fellow, University of Victoria.
1990-97 Neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuropharmacology of learning and recovery of function after brain damage. Analysis of mechanisms of spatial learning and navigation in the Morris water maze. Focus on contributions of BZD/GABAa receptors, cholinergic systems and long-term potentiation. New research on effects of common clinical medications on recovery of cognitive function after traumatic brain injury in both rats and humans.
1994 - Recovery of function after brain injury in humans. Initially my interest was in attention deficits, and then deficits in explicit memory. Starting in 1996, I have been investigating deficits in spatial cognition (spatial learning, memory and navigation), primarily after traumatic brain injury, but to some extent after strokes and aging. This research uses computerised “virtual space” to produce a task exactly analogous to that used with laboratory animals to assess hippocampal function behaviourally.
1996 - Recovery of function after brain injury in humans – Comprehensive Assessment In collaboration with clinical neuropsychologists and other rehabilitation therapy professionals I have been developing a comprehensive outcome measurement tool, the Functional Outcome Profile (FOP). This semi-structured interview solicits quantitative ratings of current functional status from survivors and their significant others in 63 different domains of everyday life, ranging from sensory motor problems, through cognitive, health, leisure and work issues, and personality issues to social dynamics, interpersonal relations and community integration.
Refereed Publications
1. Pinel, J.P.J., Skelton, R.W., & Mucha, R.F. (1976). Kindling-related changes in after-discharge "thresholds". Epilepsia, 17, 197-206.
2. Corbett, R.D., Skelton, R.W., & Wise, R.A. (1977). Dorsal noradrenergic bundle lesions fail to disrupt self-stimulation from the region of the locus coeruleus. Brain Research, 133, 37-44.
3. Skelton, R.W., Spetch, M.L., & Wilkie, D.M. (1980). A method for automatically recording topographical differences in pigeons' keypecking for food and water reinforcers. Behavior Research Methods and Instrumentation, 12, 349-352.
4. Skelton, R.W., & Shizgal, P. (1980). Parametric analysis of ON- and OFF- responding for hypothalamic stimulation. Physiology and Behavior, 25, 699-706.
5. Shizgal, P., Bielajew, C., Corbett, R.D., Skelton, R.W., & Yeomans, J.S. (1980). Behavioral method for inferring conduction velocity and anatomical linkage: I. Pathways connecting rewarding brain stimulation sites. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 94, 227-237.
6. Spetch, M.L., Wilkie, D.M., & Skelton, R.W. (1981). Control of pigeons' keypecking topography by a schedule of alternating food and water reinforcement. Animal Learning and Behavior, 9, 2-8.
7. Skelton, R.W., Miller, J.J., & Phillips, A.G. (1983). Low frequency stimulation of the perforant path produces long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus of unanesthetized rats. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 61, 83-89.
8. Skelton, R.W., Miller, J.J., & Phillips, A.G. (1985). Long-term potentiation facilitates behavioral responding to single-pulse stimulation of the perforant path. Behavioral Neuroscience, 99, 603-620
9. Skelton, R.W., Scarth, A.S., Wilkie, D.M., Miller, J.J., & Phillips, A.G. (1987). Long-term increases in dentate granule cell responsivity accompany operant conditioning. Journal of Neuroscience, 7, 3081-3087.
10. Skelton, R.W. (1988). Bilateral cerebellar lesions disrupt conditioned eyelid responses in unrestrained rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 102, 586-590
11. Skelton, R.W., Mauk, M.D., & Thompson, R.F. (1988). Cerebellar nucleus lesions dissociate alpha conditioning from alpha responses in rabbits. Psychobiology, 16, 126-134.
12. Grace, G.M., Corcoran, M. E., & Skelton, R. W. (1990). Kindling with stimulation of the dentate gyrus: I. Characterization of electrographic and behavioral events. Brain Research, 590, 249-256.
13. Grace, G.M., Corcoran, M.E., & Skelton, R.W. (1990). Kindling with stimulation of the dentate gyrus: II. Effects on evoked field potentials. Brain Research, 590, 257-265.
14. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1991). Diazepam impairs acquisition but not performance in the Morris water maze. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour, 38, 651-658.
15. McNamara, R.K. & Skelton, R.W. (1991) Pretraining morphine impairs acquisition and performance in the Morris water maze: Motivation rather than amnesia. Psychobiology, 19, 313-322.
16. Skelton, R.W. & McNamara, R.K. (1992) Bilateral knife cuts of the perforant path disrupt spatial learning in the Morris water maze. Hippocampus, 2, 73-80.
17. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1992) Assessment of a cholinergic contribution to chlordiazepoxide-induced deficits of place learning in the Morris water maze. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 41, 529-538.
18. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1992) Like diazepam, CL 218,872, a selective ligand for the benzodiazepine 1 receptor subtype, impairs place learning in the Morris water maze. Psychopharmacology, 107, 347-351.
19. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1992) Pharmacological dissociation between the spatial learning deficits produced by morphine and diazepam. Psychopharmacology, 108, 147-152.
20. Stanton, M.E., Freeman, J.H., and Skelton, R.W. (1992) Eyeblink conditioning in the developing rat. Behavioral Neuroscience, 106, 657-665.
21. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1993) The neuropharmacological and neurochemical basis of place learning in the Morris water maze. Brain Research Reviews, 18, 33-49.
22. McNamara, R.K., Kirkby, R.D., dePape, G.E., Skelton, R.W., and Corcoran, M.E. (1993) Differential effects of kindling and kindled seizures on place learning in the Morris water maze. Hippocampus, 3, 149-152.
23. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1993) Benzodiazepine receptor antagonists flumazenil and CGS 8216 and inverse-agonist -CCM enhance spatial learning in the rat: Dissociation from anxiogenic actions. Psychobiology, 21, 101-108.
24. Freeman, J.H., Spencer, C.O., Skelton, R.W. and Stanton, M.E. (1993) Ontogeny of eyeblink conditioning in the rat: Effects of US intensity and interstimulus interval on delay conditioning. Psychobiology, 21, 233-242.
25. McNamara, R.K., dePape, G.E. and Skelton, R.W. (1993) Differential effects of benzodiazepine receptor agonists on hippocampal long-term potentiation and spatial learning in the Morris water maze. Brain Research, 626, 63-70.
26. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1993) Effects of central infusions of chlordiazepoxide on spatial learning in the Morris water maze. I. Neuroanatomical specificity. Behavioural Brain Research, 59, 175-191.
27. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1993) Effects of central infusions of chlordiazepoxide on spatial learning in the Morris water maze. II. Pharmacological specificity. Behavioural Brain Research, 59, 193-204.
28. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1996) Baclofen, a selective GABAB receptor agonist, dose-dependently impairs spatial learning in rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 53, 303-308.
29. McNamara, R.K., Davis, T.M., and Skelton, R.W. (1996) Effects of aging on the spatial learning deficit produced by diazepam in rats. Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 20, 873881.
30. McNamara, R.K. and Skelton, R.W. (1997) Tolerance develops to the spatial learning deficit produced by diazepam in rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 56, 383-389.
31. Hannesson, D.K, and Skelton, R.W. (1998) Recovery of spatial performance in the Morris water maze following bilateral transection of the fimbria/fornix in rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 90 (1) 35-56.
32. Skelton, R.W. (1998) Modeling recovery of cognitive function after traumatic brain injury: spatial navigation in the Morris water maze after complete or partial transections of the perforant path in rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 93 (1,2), 13-35.
33. Pettersen, J.A. & Skelton, R.W. (2000) Glucose enhances long-term declarative memory in mildly head-injured varsity rugby players. Psychobiology,. 28 (1), 81-89.
34. Skelton, R.W., C. Bukach, H.E. Laurance, K.G.F. Thomas, & W. Jake Jacobs (2000a) Humans with traumatic brain injuries show place learning deficits in computer-generated virtual space. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 22, 157-175.
35. Skelton, R.W., Ross, S.P., Nerad, L. and Livingstone, S.A. (2006) Human Spatial Navigation Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury Shown In The Arena Maze, A Virtual Morris Water Maze, Brain Injury Vol 20 (2), 189-203.
36. Ross, S.P., Skelton, R.W. and Mueller, S. (2006) Gender differences in learning in virtual space: Implications when using virtual environments in instruction and assessment, Virtual Reality. Volume 10 (3-4), 175-184 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1007/s10055-006-0041-7
37. Livingstone, S.A. & Skelton, R.W. (2007) Virtual environment navigation tasks and the assessment of cognitive deficits in individuals with brain injury. Behavioural Brain Research, 185, 21–31. DOI:10.1016/j.bbr.2007.07.015
38. Mueller, S.C., Jackson, C.P.T., Skelton, R.W. (2008) Gender differences in a virtual water maze: an eye tracking and pupillometry study. Behavioural Brain Research, 193(2), 209-215; DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.05.017.
39. Goodrich-Hunsaker, N.J., Livingstone, S.A., Skelton, R.W. & Hopkins, R.O. (2010) Spatial Deficits in a Virtual Morris Water Maze Navigation Task in Amnesic Participants with Hippocampal Damage, Hippocampus, 20, 481-491.
(published online DOI 10.1002/hipo.20651April, 2009)
40. Livingstone-Lee, S.A., Murchison, S.C., Zeman, P.M., Gandhi, M.M., van Gerven, D.J., Stewart, L., Livingston, N.J., & Skelton, R.W. (2011) Simple Gaze Analysis and Special Design of a Virtual Morris Water Maze Provides a New Method for Differentiating Egocentric and Allocentric Navigational Strategy Choice. Behavioural Brain Research, 225, 117-125.
41. van Gerven, D.J.H., Schneider, A.N., Wuitchik, D.M., Skelton, R.W. (2012). Direct measurement of spontaneous strategy selection in a virtual Morris water maze shows females choose an allocentric strategy at least as often as males do. Behavioural Neuroscience, Vol 126(3), 2012, 465-478. doi:10.1037/a0027992.
42. Livingstone-Lee, S., MacDonald, B. S., Gillingham, S., & Skelton, R. W. (submitted). Exploration and cognitive maps are required for optimal allocentric navigation in a virtual Morris water maze. Hippocampus. Funding: NSERC scholarship to Livingstone-Lee Submission ID: HIPO-12-228 (rejected)
43. van Gerven, D. J., & Skelton, R. W. (submitted). Rapid human place learning in a virtual Morris water maze: Evidence from a novel explicit probe procedure. Learning and Behaviour. Funding: none
44. Yim, M., Livingstone-Lee, S. A., Zeman, P. M., & Skelton, R. W. (submitted). Allocentric and egocentric strategies are adopted at the same rate in a Dual-Strategy virtual Morris Water Maze. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Funding: NSERC scholarship to Livingstone-Lee {Rejected – in revision}
45. Grouzet, F.M.E., Geres-Smith, R., & Skelton, R. W. (submitted). Naturalistic stress and academic performance: possible neurobiological mediation. Motivation and Emotion.
46. Livingstone-Lee, Sharon A., Philip M. Zeman, Susan T. Gillingham, and Ronald W. Skelton (2014) . “Navigational Strategy May Be More a Matter of Environment and Experience Than Gender.” Learning and Motivation. Volume 45, February 2014, Pages 30–43 Accessed October 31, 2013. doi:10.1016/j.lmot.2013.09.003.
47. Livingstone-Lee, S.A., Skelton, R.W., & Livingston, N.J. (2014) “Transit Apps for People with Brain Injury and Other Cognitive Disabilities: The State of the Art.” Submitted to Assistive Technology, February 11, 2014.
48. Ross, S.L., Grouzet, F.M.E., & Skelton, R.W. (in prep ). Toward a network interdependence model ofcaregiving after Traumatic Brain Injury.
49.
Book Chapters
1. Skelton, R.W., Phillips, A.G., & Miller, J.J. (1982). Electrical stimulation of the perforant path input into the hippocampus as a discriminative stimulus. In: F.C. Colpaert and J.L. Slangen (Eds.), Drug Discrimination: Applications in CNS Pharmacology. Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp. 369-380.
2. Nadel, L., Thomas, K. G. F, Laurance, H. E., Skelton, R. W., Tal, T. S., & Jacobs, W. J. (1998) Human spatial cognition in a virtual arena. In: C. Freksa, C. Habel, & K. F. Wender (Eds.), Spatial cognition – An interdisciplinary approach to representation and processing of spatial knowledge. (pp. 399-427) Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Conference Presentations
1. Skelton, R.W., & Shizgal, P. (1977). Refractory period estimates of neurons mediating the appetitive and aversive effects of electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. Society for Neuroscience, Anaheim, CA.
2. Skelton, R.W., Assaf, S.Y., Miller, J.J., & Phillips, A.G. (1978). Selective destruction of septal cell bodies by kainic acid produces hyperreactivity. Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa.
3. Skelton, R.W., Miller, J.J., & Phillips, A.G. (1980). Long-term potentiation of dentate population responses following low frequency (0.1Hz) stimulation of the perforant path in chronic rats. Society for Neuroscience, Cincinnati, OH.
4. Skelton, R.W., Phillips, A.G., & Miller, J.J. (1981). Long-term potentiation facilitates the acquisition of perforant path stimulation as a discriminative stimulus. Society for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA.
5. Skelton, R.W., Scarth, A.S., Wilkie, D.M., Miller, J.J., & Phillips, A.G. (1982). Synaptic activation of dentate granule cells by perforant path stimulation is facilitated by a learning experience. Conference on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Irvine, CA.
6. Skelton, R.W., Mauk, M.D., & Thompson, R.F. (1984). Dissociation of neural regions necessary for alpha and conditioned responses to a visual stimulus. Second Conference on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Irvine, CA.