About

Albert Anthony Herrera

Professor of Biological Sciences

Contact Information
E-mail: aherrera@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-9177
Office: HNB 116

LINKS
Curriculum Vitae
 

Education
B.S. Zoology, University of California, Davis, 1/1972
Ph.D. Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1/1977
 

Postdoctoral Training
NIH and MDA Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, 1977-1981  
 

Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History

Tenure Track Appointments
Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 08/1992-  
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 08/1987-07/1992  
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 08/1981-07/1987  
 

PostDoctoral Appointments
NIH and MDA Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, 06/1977-07/1981  
 

Description of Research

Summary Statement of Research Interests
Professor Herrera's research focuses on the development, growth, regulation and plasticity of synapses in the vertebrate nervous system. Herrera studies the formation and subsequent elimination of the nervous system's overabundance of synaptic connections during embryonic development. He has shown this occurs through an activity-dependent, competitive process controlled by the expression of ion channels, which results in the permanent adult set of neural connections. His research on neural development, learning and memory, and neural recovery from injury focuses on long-term effects of altered activity on synaptic efficiency. He uses a frog model to focus on events at the neuro-muscular junction in this research. In another project, Herrera's lab investigates the role of Schwann cells in the development and the growth of peripheral synapses. Schwann cells are glial cells that cover and sustain the synapse. He has revealed that Schwann cells lead the growth of motor axons during new synapse formation and synaptic enlargement.
 

Funded Research

USC Funding
Provost's Office Undergraduate Research Program. Activity-Dependent Elimination of Synapses at Neuromuscular Junctions: Anatomical and neurophysiological studies of synapse development in frog neuromuscular junctions, conducted by a team of three undergraduate students under faculty supervision., $10,000, 2007-2008   
USC Fund for Innovative Undergraduate Teaching. Redesign of a Large Introductory Biology Class: Lectures were recorded and archived for online access. In groups of about 50, students read and discussed original research papers. Extensive polling was done to correlate opinions with performance., $15,000, 2006-2007   
 

Publications

Journal Article
VanSaun, M., Herrera, A. A., Werle, M. (2004). Structural alterations at the neuromuscular junctions of matrix metalloproteinase-3 null mutant mice. Journal of Neurocytology/Kluwer Academic Press. Vol. 32, pp. 1129-1142.
Herrera, A. A., Zeng, Y. (2003). Activity-dependent switch from synapse formation to synapse elimination during development of neuromuscular junctions. Journal of Neurocytology/Kluwer Academic Press. Vol. 32, pp. 817-833.
Reddy, L. V., Koirala, S., Sugiura, Y., Herrera, A. A., Ko, C. (2003). Glial cells maintain synaptic structure and function and promote development of the neuromuscular junction in vivo. Neuron/Cell Press. Vol. 40, pp. 563-580.
Herrera, A. A., Qiang, H., Ko, C. (2000). The role of perisynaptic Schwann cells in development of neuromuscular junctions in the frog (Xenopus laevis). Journal of Neurobiology/Wiley. Vol. 45, pp. 237-254.
Herrera, A. A., Qiang, H., Ko, C. (2000). The role of perisynaptic Schwann cells in development of neuromuscular junctions in the frog (Xenopus laevis). Journal of Neurobiology. Vol. 45, pp. 237-254.
 

Multimedia Scholarship and Creative Works
Undergraduate Research Web Site, This website features research results obtained by undergraduate researchers supervised by Albert Herrera: www-rcf.usc.edu/~aherrera, 2004-  
 

Teaching Innovations and Multimedia Teaching
Online quizzes, just-in-time teaching, audio podcasts, interactive video webcasts, in BISC 220 & 307, 2004-2009  
Grant from Provost's Fund for Innovative Undergraduate Teaching, to radically re-design BISC 220., 2006-2007   
National conference on teaching introductory biology, Santa Fe, NM., Spring 2007   
Biology Leadership Conference on Teaching Introductory Biology, La Jolla, Spring 2005   
BISC 220&307: Blackboard, clickers, online quizzes, just-in-time adjustments, peer instruction, Spring 2005   
Natl. Conference on Integrating Research into Undergrad. Education- spons. by NSF and Wilson Found., Fall 2004   
 

Honors and Awards
USC or School/Dept Award for Teaching, Honored Faculty Member, Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, 2009  
Mellon Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring, 2008  
Mellon Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring, 2006  
USC Fund for Innovative Undergraduate Teaching: Redesign of a Large Introductory Biology Class, 2005-2006   
NIH/NSF Career Development Award, 1985-1990  
USC or School/Dept Award for Teaching, Professor of the Month, Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, 1985  
 

Service to the Profession

Professional Memberships
Society for Neuroscience, 1981-2007  
 
 
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