Edward E. Morrison

Dr. Edward Morrison is an associate professor of veterinary histology in the Department of Anatomy and Histology at the College of Veterinary Medicine. He received his BS degree from Massachusetts and His MS and PhD degree from Kansas State University in 1980. Dr. Morrison was a post doctoral fellow with Dr. Pasquale Graziadei, Florida State University. He joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University in 1990.

Research Interest:

In the mammalian central nervous system neuron replacement is not possible except, in the olfactory system. Olfactory neurons are unique, they are replaced normally and when injured. This remarkable capacity for postnatal neurogenesis makes the olfactory system an excellent model for studies examining neuron development and plasticity. My research is concerned with studying the ability of olfactory neuroblasts to produce new neurons. One technique we use to study this process is nerve cell transplantation. Olfactory transplant neurons survive in different regions of the CNS, and continue to develop and grow new nerve processes into host brain tissue. Currently, we are studying transplants to obtain a better understanding of development and neurogenesis that could then be applied to other CNS neurons. Can transplanted olfactory neurons serve as replacement cells for lost neurons in the brain and spinal cord?

My laboratory also studies the human olfactory system, specifically morphology, distribution and changes that occur with aging and disease. Another area of ongoing study is to determine the effect of pathogens on the olfactory system. Olfactory neurons are "naked" to the external environment and may serve as a portal for pathogens to reach the brain. How pathogens gain entry into olfactory epithelial cells and reach the CNS are complex and poorly understood and could have important clinical implications.

Selected Publications:

Morrison EE, and Costanzo RM, 1990. Morphology of the human olfactory epithelium. J Comp Neurol 297:1-13.

Morrison EE, and Costanzo RM, 1992. Structure of olfactory epithelium in humans and other vertebrates. Micro Res and Tech 23:49-61.