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Psychological Sciences

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Jon Kaas

Distinguished Centennial Professor of Psychology
Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Kaas's major research interests are in the evolution and functional organization of sensory-perceptual, cognitive, and motor systems, especially in primates, in the development of these systems, and in how these systems are plastic in response to injury and use in developing and adult brains. Special research emphasis is placed on studying visual, auditory and somatosensory systems, but current studies are also concerned with multimodal and sensorimotor integration in parietal and frontal cortex. Research questions are addressed with a range of electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, biochemical, and behavioral techniques. Teaching interests are in neuroscience, biological psychology, and animal behavior.

Current Research

  • Single and multielectrode recordings of neurons in primary somatosensory cortex of monkeys.
  • Optical imaging of functional subdivisions of visual cortex in monkeys.
  • Studies of anatomical connections of neural networks in brain systems devoted to somatosensory, visual, auditory, motor, and gustatory functions in monkeys.
  • Studies of brain architecture.

Research Associates

  • Iwona Stepniewska, Research Assistant Professor, Ph.D. 1985 in Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland. Major Research Interests: visual and motor systems, and the organization of the thalamus in primates.
  • Hui-Xin Qi, Research Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 1996 in Neurophysiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.  Major Research Interests: neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of somatosensory systems of primates, and plasticity of somatosensory and motor systems in adult and developing primates.

Previous Positions

  • Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, Neurophysiology Dept. 1968-1972.

Representative Publications

Publications (2004-2006):

  • Xu, X., Collins, C.E., Kaskan, P.M., Khaytin, I., Kaas, J.H. and Casagrande, V.A. Optical imaging of visually evoked responses in prosimian primates reveals conserved features of the middle temporal visual area. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2004, 101, 2566-2571.
  • Coq, J.O., Qi, H.X., Collins, C.E. and Kaas, J.H. Anatomical and functional organization of somatosensory areas of the lateral fissure of the New World titi monkey (Callicebus moloch). J. Comp. Neurol., 2004, 476:363-387.
  • Remple, M.S., Jain, N. Diener, P.S. and Kaas, J.H. Bilateral effects of spinal overhemi sections on the development of the somatosensory system in rats. J. Comp. Neurol., 2004, 475:604-619.
  • Qi, H.X. and Kaas, J.H. Myelin stains reveal an anatomical framework for the representation of the digits in somatosensory area 3b of macaque monkeys. J. Comp. Neurol., 2004, 477:172-187.
  • Qi, H.X., Phillips, W.S. and Kaas, J.H. Connections of neurons in the lumbar ventral horn of spinal cord are altered after long-standing limb loss in a macaque monkey. Somatosens. Mot. Res., 2004, 21:229-239.
  • Stepniewska, I., Collins, C.E. and Kaas, J.H. Reappraisal of DL/V4 boundaries based on connectivity patterns of dorsolateral visual cortex in macaques. Cereb. Cortex, 2005, 15:809-822.
  • Collins, C.E., Lyon, D.C. and Kaas, J.H. Distribution across cortical areas of neurons projecting to the superior colliculus in New World monkeys. Anat. Rec., 2005, 285A:619-627.
  • Elston, G.N., Elston, A., Casagrande, V.A. and Kaas, J.H. Areal specialization of pyramidal cell structure in the visual cortex of the tree shrew. A new twist revealed in the evolution of cortical circuits. Exp. Brain Res., 2005, 163:13-20.
  • Collins, C.E., Xu, X., Khaytin, I., Kaskan, P.M., Casagrande, V.A. and Kaas, J.H. Optical imaging of visually evoked responses in the middle temporal area after deactivation of primary visual cortex in adult primates. PNAS, 2005, 102:5594-5599.
  • Elston, G.N., Elston, A., Kaas, J.H. and Casagrande, V.A. Regional specialization in pyramidal cell structure in the visual cortex of the Galago: an intracellular injection study of striate and extrastriate areas with comparative notes on New World and Old World monkeys. Brain Behav. Evol., 2005, 66:10-21.
  • Stepniewska, I., Fang, P.-C. and Kaas, J.H. Microstimulation reveals specialized subregions for different complex movements in posterior parietal cortex of prosimian galagos. PNAS, U S A., 2005, 102:4878-4883.
  • Wu, C. W.-H., Bichot, N.P. and Kaas, J.H. Somatosensory areas S2 and PV project to the superior colliculus of a prosimian primate Galago garnetti. Somatosens. Mot. Res. 2005, 22:221-231.
  • Elston, G.N., Elston, A. Casagrande, V. and Kaas, J.H. Pyramidal neurons of granular prefrontal cortex of the galago: complexity in evolution of the psychic cell in primates. Anat. Rec., 2005, 285A, 610-618.
  • Fang, P.-C., Stepniewska, I. and Kaas, J.H. Ipsilateral cortical connections of motor, premotor, frontal eye, and posterior parietal fields in a prosimian primate, Galago garnetti. J. Comp. Neurol., 2005, 490, 305-333.
  • Elston, G.N., Benavides-Piccione R., Elston, A., Zietsch, B., Defelipe, J. Manger, P., Casagrande, V., Kaas, J.H. Specializations of the granular prefrontal cortex of primates: implications for cognitive processing. Anat Rec., 2006, 288A, 26-35.
  • Stepniewska, I., Preuss, T.M., and Kaas, J.H. Ipsilateral cortical connections of dorsal and ventral premotor areas in New World owl monkeys. J. Comp. Neurol., 2006, 495, 691-708.
  • Remple, M.S., Reed, J.L., Stepniewska, I., and Kaas, J.H. The organization of frontoparietal cortex in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri). I. Architecture, microelectrode maps, and corticospinal connections. J. Comp. Neurol., 2006, 497: 133-154.
  • Fang, P.-C., Stepniewska, I. and Kaas, J.H. The thalamic connections of motor, premotor, and prefrontal areas of cortex in a primate, Otolemur garnetti. Submitted.
  • Qi, H.-X. and Kaas, J.H. The organization of primary afferent projections to the gracile nucleus of the dorsal column system of primates. J. Comp. Neurol., 2006. In press.
  • Remple, M., Reed, J., Stephiewska, I., and Kaas, J. H. The organization of frontoparietal cortex in the Tree Shrew (Tupaia belangeri): II Connectional evidence for a frontal-posterior parietal network. J. Comp. Neurol., 2006. In press.
  • Iyengar, S., Qi, H.X., Jain, N. and Kaas, J.H. Cortical and thalamic connections of the representations of the teeth and tongue in somatosensory cortex of New World monkeys. J. Comp. Neurol. Submitted.
  • Xu, X., Collins, C.E., Khaytin, I., and Kaas, J.H. Unequal representations of cardinal versus oblique orientations in the middle temporal (MT) visual area. Submitted.

Book Chapters & Review Articles (2003-2006):

  • Collins, C.E., and Kaas, J.H. Plasticity of visual cortex in adult primates. In J.H. Kaas and C.E. Collins, (Eds.), The Primate Visual System. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2003, 161-180.
  • Kaas, J.H. Early visual areas: V2, V3, DM, DL, and MT. In J.H. Kaas, and C.E. Collins (Eds.), The Primate Visual System. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2003, 139-159.
  • Kaas, J.H. The evolution of the large, complex sensorimotor systems of anthropoid primates. In S. Pellis and L. Marino (Eds.), (Special Issue: Evolution of the Vertebrate Brain and Behavior) Internatl. J. Comp. Psych., 2004, 17:34-52.
  • Kaas, J.H. Plasticity of somatosensory and motor systems in developing and mature primate brains. In I.J. Stockman (Ed.) Movement and Action Links to Intelligent Behavior, From Theory to Practice. San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004, 75-91.
  • Kaas, J.H. Somatosensory System. In G. Paxinos and J.K. Mai (Eds.), The Human Nervous System, 2nd ed., New York: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004, 1059-1092.
  • Hackett, T.A. and Kaas, J.H. Auditory Cortex in Primates: Functional Subdivisions and Processing Streams. In M.S. Gazzaniga, (Ed.), The Coginitive Neurosciences, 3rd ed. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2004.
  • Kaas, J.H. Evolution of somatosensory cortex in primates. Special Issue: The Evolution of Primate Sensory Systems. Anat. Rec., 2004, 281A, 1148-1156.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Qi, H.X. The reorganization of the motor system in primates after the loss of a limb. Special Issue: Motor System Plasticity, Recovery and Rehabilitation. Restorative Neurol. Neurosci., 2004, 22:145-152.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Collins, C.E. The resurrection of multisensory cortex in primates: connection patterns that integrate modalities. In: G.A. Culvert, C. Spence and B.E. Stein (Eds) The Handbook of Multisensory Processes, MIT Press: Cambridge, 2004, 285-293.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Hackett, T.A. Subdivisions and connectins of the auditory cortex in primates: a working model. In P. Heil, R. Konig, and E. Budinger (Eds.), Auditory Cortex: Towards a Synthesis of Human and Animal Research, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc., 2005, 7-25.
  • Kaas, J.H. The evolution of visual cortex in primates. In J. Kremers (Ed.), The Structure, Function and Evolution of the Primate Visual System. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons, 2005.
  • Kremers, J., Kaas, J.H., Martin, P. and Solomon, S. The lateral geniculate nucleus. In J. Kremers (Ed.), The Structure, Function and Evolution of the Primate Visual System. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons, 2005.
  • Kaas, J.H. From mice to men: The evolution of the large, complex human brain. J. Biosci. (Indian Academy of Sciences). 2005, 30:155-165.
  • Kaas, J.H. The future of mapping sensory cortex in primates: three of many remaining issues. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond, Biol. Sci. 2005, 360:653-664.
  • Kaas, J.H. The evolution of the neocortex from early mammals to modern humans. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 2005, 80:11-14.
  • Kaas, J.H. Serendipity and the Siamese cat: the discovery that genes for coat and eye pigment affect the brain. ILAR Journal, 2005, 46:357-363.
  • Krubitzer, L. and Kaas, J.H. The evolution of the neocortex in mammals: how is phenotypic diversity generated? Curr. Opin. Neurobiol., 2005, 15:1-10.
  • Collins, C.E., Hendrickson, A., and Kaas, J.H. Overview of the visual system of tarsius. Anat. Rec., 2005, 287A:1013-1025.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Pons, T.P. Plasticity of the mature and developing somatosensory system. In Textbook of Neural Repair and Rehabilitation. M.e. Selzer, S. Clarke, L.G. Cohen, P.W. Duncan, and F.H. Gage (Eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2006, 97-108.
  • Kaas, J.H., Qi, H.X. and Iyengar, S. Cortical network for representing the teeth and tongue in primates. Anat. Rec., 2006, 288A:182-190.
  • Kaas, J.H., Collins, C.E. and Chino, Y. Reorganization of topographical maps in the adult mammalian visual cortex following retinal and cortical lesions. In R. Pinaud, L. A. Tremere and P. De Weerd, (Eds.) Plasticity in the Visual System: From Genes to Circuits. New York: Springer, 2006, pp. 205-227.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Hackett, T.A. The functional neuroanatomy of the auditory cortex. In: P. Dallos and D. Oertel (Eds.), Handbook of the Senses. Elsevier: London. In press.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Rothemund, Y. Reorganization of somatosensory and motor cortex following peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury in primates. In: S.G. Lomber and J.J. Eggermont (Eds.), Reprogramming the Cerebral Cortex. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. In press.
  • Kaas, J.H. Somatosensory cortex, plasticity. In: U. Windhorst, M. Binder, and N. Hirokawa (Eds.), Yoshiaki Iwamura (Section Ed.), Encyclopedia Reference of Neuroscience. Berlin: Springer Press. In press
  • Kaas, J.H. Evolution of the brain in mammals. In: U. Windhorst, M. Binder, and N. Hirokawa (Eds.), A.B. Butler (Section Ed.) Encyclopedia Reference of Neuroscience. Berlin: Springer Press. In press.
  • Kaas, J.H. and Butler, A.B. Evolution of the somatosensory system. In: U. Windhorst, M. Binder, and N. Hirokawa (Eds.), A.B. Butler (Section Ed.), Encyclopedia Reference of Neuroscience. Berlin: Springer Press. In press.
  • Kaas, J.H. The neocortex of early mammals and its diversification. In: J.H. Kaas (Ed.) evolution of Nervous Systems. London: Elsevier Press. In press.
  • Kaas, J.H. The evolution of the dorsal thalamus in mammals. In: J.H. Kaas (Ed.) evolution of Nervous Systems. London: Elsevier Press. In press.
  • Kaas, J.H. The evolution of somatosensory and motor systems in primates. In: J.H. Kaas (Ed.) evolution of Nervous Systems. London: Elsevier Press. In press.

Honors

  • 1985 The Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research, awarded by Vanderbilt University
  • 1987 Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award
  • 1988 Krieg Cortical Discoverer Award, Cajal Club
  • 1991 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • 1994 American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award
  • 1994 Elected Member, International Neuropsychology Symposium
  • 1998 La Jolla Group for Explaining the Origin of Humans, elected member
  • 1999-2000 Fellowship, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford
  • 2000 Elected Member National Academy of Sciences
  • 2001 Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2001 Elected Member of the Society of Experimental Psychologists
  • 2006 Karl Spencer Lashley Prize, American Philosophical Society