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George R. Leichnetz, Ph.D.
Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology
Graduate Program Director
B.S., Zoology, Wheaton College (Ill.) (1964)
M.S., Anatomy, The Ohio State University (1966)
Ph.D., Anatomy, The Ohio State University (1970)
| Office Address: | | Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology |
| | | Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Campus |
| | | Box 980709 |
| | | Richmond, VA 23298-0709 |
| Office Phone: | | (804) 828-9512 |
| FAX: | | (804) 828-9477 |
| e-mail: | | gleichne@vcu.edu |
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY INTERESTS
The research in my laboratory has focused on brain connections concerned with the role of the cerebral cortex in the control of eye movement. Using a variety of neuroanatomical tracers in primates it was determined that the prefrontal cortex, including the frontal eye field (FEF) was not only the principal source of topographically-organized projections to the superior colliculus, but also entertained "extra-collicular" projections to preoculomotor and paraoculomotor brainstem nuclei that potentially have a direct, and probably differential, effect on ocular motility. We have also been interested in cerebellar projections to some of the same brainstem targets in that these projections may converge with those of the cortex and probably cooperate in orchestrating appropriate oculomotor responses. In the future we would like to be able to study the ultrastructural relationship of the axon terminals of excitatory FEF corticotectal and cerebellotectal projections with postsynaptic neurons of the SC that might suggest their respective functional roles in ocular motility. In addition to these research interests, I have been actively involved in the development of computer-based instructional packages in the gross and sectional anatomy of the central nervous system, and light- and electron- microscopic neurohistology, and a self-test package for students to evaluate their understanding of neuroanatomy and its clinical correlations.
REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS
Leichnetz, G.R. and Gonzalo-Ruiz, A. (1996) Prearcuate cortex in the cebus
monkey has cortical and subcortical connections like the macaque frontal eye
field and projects to fastigial-recipient oculomotor-related brainstem nuclei.
Brain Res. Bull. 41:1-29
Leichnetz, G.R. (2001) Connections of the medial posterior parietal cortex in the monkey, Anatomical Record 263: 215-236
Leichnetz, G.R. (2006) Digital Neuroanatomy, John R. Wiley & Sons, an interactive computer-based instructional program with
accompanying text
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