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Robert Lucas

Scientifc Interest

We are interested in retinal influences on ‘non visual’ aspects of physiology and behaviour such as the circadian clock, the neuroendocrine axis, and aspects of mood and alertness. Given the importance of melanopsin-based inner retinal photoreceptors for those processes, we also have a more general interest in this newly discovered photoreceptive system and its contribution to our sensory capabilities.

Documents

CV of Robert Lucas [pdf]

Memberships

  • Physiological Society
  • Society for Neuroscience
  • British Neuroscience Association
  • Society for Biological Rhythms
  • ARVO

Key Publications

  1. Allen AE, Brown TM, Lucas RJ (2011)
    A distinct contribution of short wavelength sensitive cones to light evoked activity in the mouse pretectal olivary nucleus (PON).
    Journal of Neuroscience 31:16833-43
  2. Brown TM, Wynne J, Piggins HD, Lucas RJ (2011).
    Multiple hypothalamic cell populations encoding distinct visual information.
    J Physiol 589(5)1173-94
  3. Brown TM, Gias C, Hatori M, Keding SR, Semo M, Coffey PJ, Gigg J, Piggins HD, Panda S, Lucas RJ (2010)
    Melanopsin Contributions to Irradiance Coding in the thalamo-cortical Visual System.
    PLoS Biology 8(12):e1000558. 
  4. Lall GS, Revell VL, Momiji M, al Enezi J, Altimus CM, Güler AD, Aguilar C, Cameron MA, Allender A, Hankins MW, Hattar S and Lucas RJ (2010).
    Distinct contributions of rod, cone and melanopsin photoreceptors to encoding irradiance.
    Neuron 66:417-28
  5. Allen AE, Cameron MA, Brown TM, Vugler AA, Lucas RJ (2010).
    Visual responses in mice lacking critical components of all known retinal phototransduction cascades.
    PLoS One. 2010 5(11):e15063.
  6. Güler AD, Ecker JL, Lall GS, Haq S, Altimus CM, Liao H-W, Barnard AR, Cahill H, Badea TC, Zhao H, Hankins MW, Berson DM, Lucas RJ, Yau K-W and Hattar S. (2008)
    Melanopsin cells are the principal conduits for rod–cone input to non-image-forming vision.
    Nature 453:102-105
  7. Bellingham J, Chaurasia SS, Melyan Z, Liu C, Cameron MA, Tarttelin EE, Iuvone PM, Hankins MW, Tossini G, Lucas RJ (2006)
    Evolution of melanopsin photoreceptors: Discovery and characterization of a new melanopsin gene in non-mammalian vertebrates
    PLoS Biology 4(8):e254
  8. Barnard AR, Hattar S, Hankins MW, Lucas RJ. (2006)
    Melanopsin regulates visual processing in the mouse retina.
    Current Biology 16: 389-395.
  9. Melyan Z, Tarttelin EE, Bellingham J, Lucas RJ, Hankins MW (2005).
    Addition of human melanopsin renders mammalian cells photoresponsive.
    Nature 433:741-5 
  10. Lucas RJ, Hattar S, Takao M, Berson DM, Foster RG, Yau K-W (2003)
    Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice.
    Science 299:245-247.  
Robert Lucas
Robert Lucas

Research Group

Inner retinal photoreception and ‘non-visual’ effects of light

[more information]

Contact

University of Manchester

Faculty of Life Sciences

AV Hill Building
Oxford Rd
Manchester M13 9PT
United Kingdom

Phone: 0161 275 5251 (office)
Phone: 0161 275 5367 (lab)
Fax: 0161 275 5082

E-mail:
robert.lucas[at]man.ac.uk

Website:
http://lucasgroup.lab.ls.manchester.ac.uk/

Research Groups

People