Professor Mark Wall

Professor

Phone: 024 765 73772

Office: IBRB 1.27

Research Clusters

Vacancies and Opportunities

For PhD and postdoctoral opportunities, and interest in potential collaborations, please contact me at the above email address.

Research Interests

I am a neuroscientist interested in measuring the electrical properties of neurons in the mammalian brain and how they change in conditions such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Research: Technical Summary

I am an electrophysiologist interested in neuronal and synaptic physiology in both health and disease. I use extracellular recording, FSCV and multiple patch-clamp recording to study synaptic transmission and the properties of neurons. I combine electrophysiology with computational analysis (in collaboration with Prof Magnus Richardson Warwick Mathematics) to measure the electrophysiological properties of neurons.

Current projects include investigation of neuronal function in models of epilepsy, schizophrenia, and neurodegeneration (AD and PD) and how neural circuits can be modulated by changes in the levels of carbon dioxide.

Biography

PhD Neurophysiology. Department of Zoology, University of Bristol 1993

Publications

Bhandare, Amol M., Haley, Maisy, Torrico Anderson, Vanessa, Domingos, Luana B., Lopes, Marcia, Corrêa, Sônia A. L. and Wall, Mark J. (2024) ArcKR expression modifies synaptic plasticity following epileptic activity : differential effects with in vitro and in vivo seizure induction protocols. Epilepsia, 65 (7). pp. 2152-2164. doi:10.1111/epi.17981 ISSN 0013-9580.

Haley, Maisy, Bertrand, Jeanri, Anderson, Vanessa Torrico, Fuad, Mukattar, Frenguelli, Bruno G., Corrêa, Sônia A. L. and Wall, Mark J. (2023) Arc expression regulates long-term potentiation magnitude and metaplasticity in area CA1 of the hippocampus in ArcKR mice. European Journal of Neuroscience, 58 (10). pp. 4166-4180. doi:10.1111/ejn.16172 ISSN 0953-816X.

Hill, Emily, Moffat, Kevin G., Wall, Mark J., Zetterberg, Henrik, Blennow, Kaj and Karikari, Thomas K. (2023) Functional applications of stable Tau Oligomers in cell biology and electrophysiology studies. In: Protein Aggregation. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2551 . New York, NY: Humana, pp. 147-161. ISBN 9781071625972

Brown, Jessica, Camporesi, Elena, Lantero-Rodriguez, Juan, Olsson, Maria, Wang, Alice, Medem, Blanca, Zetterberg, Henrik, Blennow, Kaj, Karikari, Thomas K., Wall, Mark J. and Hill, Emily (2023) Tau in cerebrospinal fluid induces neuronal hyperexcitability and alters hippocampal theta oscillations. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 11 . 67. doi:10.1186/s40478-023-01562-5 ISSN 2051-5960 .

Wall, Mark J. (2023) Purinergic signaling in the cerebellum. In: Gruol, D. L. and Koibuchi, N. and Manto, M. and Molinari, M and Schmahmann, J. D. and Shen, Y., (eds.) Essentials of Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders : A Primer For Graduate Students. Cham: Springer, pp. 225-230. ISBN 9783031150692

Brown, Jessica, Grayson, Ben, Neill, Joanna C., Harte, Michael, Wall, Mark J. and Ngomba, Richard T. (2023) Oscillatory deficits in the sub-chronic PCP rat model for schizophrenia are reversed by mGlu5 receptor-positive allosteric modulators VU0409551 and VU0360172. Cells, 12 (6). 919. doi:10.3390/cells12060919 ISSN 2073-4409.

Hill, Emily, Moffat, Kevin G., Wall, Mark J., Zetterberg, Henrik, Blennow, Kaj and Karikari, Thomas K. (2022) A validated method to prepare stable Tau Oligomers. In: Cieplak, A. S., (ed.) Protein Aggregation. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2551 . New York, NY: Humana, pp. 203-224. ISBN 9781071625965

Privitera, Lucia, Hogg, Ellen L., Lopes, Marcia, Domingos, Luana B., Gaestel, Matthias, Müller, Jürgen, Wall, Mark J. and Corrêa, Sônia A. L. (2022) The MK2 cascade mediates transient alteration in mGluR-LTD and spatial learning in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease. Aging Cell, 21 (10). e13717. doi:10.1111/acel.13717 ISSN 1474-9726.

Wall, Mark J., Puddefoot, Katie, Yin, Wencheng, Bingham, Chris, Seifi, Mohsen, Swinny, Jerome D. and Teke Ngomba, Richard (2022) Adenosine is released during thalamic oscillations to provide negative feedback control. Neuropharmacology, 216 . 109172. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109172 ISSN 0028-3908.

Wall, Mark J., Hill, Emily, Huckstepp, Robert T. R., Barkan, Kerry, Deganutti, Giuseppe, Leuenberger, Michele, Preti, Barbara, Winfield, Ian, Carvalho, Sabrina, Suchankova, Anna et al.

(2022) Selective activation of Gαob by an adenosine A 1 receptor agonist elicits analgesia without cardiorespiratory depression. Nature Communications, 13 (1). 4150. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31652-2 ISSN 2041-1723.

Roberts, Reno, Wall, Mark J., Braren, Ingke, Dhillon, Karendeep, Evans, Amy, Dunne, Jack, Nyakupinda, Simbarashe and Huckstepp, Robert T. R. (2022) An improved model of moderate sleep apnoea for investigating its effect as a comorbidity on neurodegenerative disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14 . 861344. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.861344 ISSN 1663-4365.

Brown, Jessica, Iacovelli, Luisa, Di Cicco, Gabriele, Grayson, Ben, Rimmer, Lauren, Fletcher, Jennifer, Neill, Joanna C., Wall, Mark J., Ngomba, Richard T. and Harte, Michael (2022) The comparative effects of mGlu5 receptor positive allosteric modulators VU0409551 and VU0360172 on cognitive deficits and signalling in the sub-chronic PCP rat model for schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology, 208 . 108982. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108982 ISSN 0028-3908.

Hill, Emily, Karikari, Thomas K., Lantero-Rodriguez, Juan, Zetterberg, Henrik, Blennow, Kaj, Richardson, Magnus J. E. and Wall, Mark J. (2021) Truncating Tau reveals different pathophysiological actions of oligomers in single neurons. Communications Biology, 4 . 1265 . doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02791-x ISSN 2399-3642.

Di Cicco, Gabriele, Marzano, Emanuela, Iacovelli, Luisa, Celli, Roberta, van Luijtelaar, Gilles, Nicoletti, Ferdinando, Ngomba, Richard T. and Wall, Mark J. (2021) Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor-mediated long term depression is disrupted in the hippocampus of WAG/Rij rats modelling absence epilepsy. Neuropharmacology, 196 . 108686. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108686 ISSN 0028-3908.

Hill, Emily, Dale, Nicholas and Wall, Mark J. (2021) CO2-sensitive connexin hemichannels in neurons and glia : three different modes of signalling? International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22 (14). 7254. doi:10.3390/ijms22147254 ISSN 1422-0067.

Deganutti, Giuseppe, Barkan, Kerry, Preti, Barbara, Leuenberger, Michele, Wall, Mark J., Frenguelli, Bruno G., Lochner, Martin, Ladds, Graham and Reynolds, Christopher A. (2021) Deciphering the agonist binding mechanism to the adenosine A1 receptor. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, 4 (1). pp. 314-326. doi:10.1021/acsptsci.0c00195 ISSN 2575-9108.

Hill, Emily, Dale, Nicholas and Wall, Mark J. (2020) Detecting CO2-sensitive hemichannels in neurons in acute brain slices. STAR Protocols, 1 (3). 100139. doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100139 ISSN 2666-1667.

Hill, Emily, Gowers, Robert, Richardson, Magnus J. E. and Wall, Mark J. (2020) Alpha-synuclein aggregates increase the conductance of substantia nigra dopamine neurons, an effect partly reversed by the KATP channel inhibitor glibenclamide. eNeuro . ENEURO.0330-20.2020. doi:10.1523/ENEURO.0330-20.2020 ISSN 2373-2822.

Celli, Roberta, Wall, Mark J., Santolini, Ines, Vergassola, Matteo, Di Menna, Luisa, Mascio, Giada, Cannella, Milena, van Luijtelaar, Gilles, Pittaluga, Anna, Ciruela, Francisco, Bruno, Valeria, Nicoletti, Ferdinando and Ngomba, Richard T. (2020) Pharmacological activation of mGlu5 receptors with the positive allosteric modulator, VU0360172 modulates thalamic GABAergic transmission. Neuropharmacology, 178 . 108240. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108240 ISSN 0028-3908.

Hill, Emily, Dale, Nicholas and Wall, Mark J. (2020) Moderate changes in CO2 modulate the firing of neurons in the VTA and substantia nigra. iScience, 23 (7). 101343. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2020.101343 ISSN 2589-0042.

Price, Gareth W., Potter, Joe A., Williams, Bethany M., Cliff, Chelsy L., Wall, Mark J., Hills, Claire E. and Squires, Paul E. (2020) Examining local cell-to-cell signalling in the kidney using ATP biosensing. In: Turksen, K., (ed.) Stem Cell Renewal and Cell-Cell Communication. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2346 . New York: Humana Press, pp. 135-149. ISBN 9781071615690

Hill, Emily, Hickman, Charlotte, Diez, Rebecca and Wall, Mark J. (2020) Role of A1 receptor-activated GIRK channels in the suppression of hippocampal seizure activity. Neuropharmacology, 164 . 107904. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107904 ISSN 0028-3908.

Hill, Emily, Wall, Mark J., Moffat, Kevin G. and Karikari , T. (2020) Understanding the pathophysiological actions of tau oligomers : a critical review of current electrophysiological methods. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 13 . 155. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2020.00155 ISSN 1662-5099.

Hill, Emily, Karikaria, Thomas K., Moffat, Kevin G., Richardson, Magnus J. E. and Wall, Mark J. (2019) Introduction of tau oligomers into cortical neurons alters action potential dynamics and disrupts synaptic transmission and plasticity. eNeuro, 6 (5). 0166. doi:10.1523/ENEURO.0166-19.2019 ISSN 2373-2822.

Privitera, Lucia, Hogg, Ellen L., Gaestel, Matthias, Wall, Mark J. and Corrêa, Sônia A. L. (2019) The MK2 cascade regulates mGluR-dependent synaptic plasticity and reversal learning. Neuropharmacology, 155 . pp. 121-130. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.05.024 ISSN 0028-3908.

Wall, Mark J., Collins, Dawn R., Chery, Samantha L., Allen, Zachary D., Pastuzyn, Elissa D., George, Arlene J., Nikolova, Viktoriya D., Moy, Sheryl S., Philpot, Benjamin D., Shepherd, Jason D., Müller, Jürgen, Ehlers, Michael D., Mabb, Angela M. and Corrêa, Sônia A. L. (2018) The temporal dynamics of Arc expression regulate cognitive flexibility. Neuron, 98 (6). pp. 1124-1132. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2018.05.012 ISSN 1097-4199.

Hughes, Victoria, Richardson, Magnus J. E. and Wall, Mark J. (2018) Acute ethanol exposure has bidirectional actions on the endogenous neuromodulator adenosine in rat hippocampus. British Journal of Pharmacology, 175 (9). pp. 1471-1485. doi:10.1111/bph.14152 ISSN 1476-5381.

Wall, Mark J. and Corrêa, Sônia A. L. (2018) The mechanistic link between Arc/Arg3.1 expression and AMPA receptor endocytosis. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 77 . pp. 17-24. doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.005 ISSN 1084-9521.

Hills, Claire E., Price, G. W., Wall, Mark J., Kauffman, T. J., Tang, S. C., Yiu, W. H. and Squires, P. E. (2018) Transforming growth Factor Beta 1 drives a switch in connexin mediated cell-to-cell communication in tubular cells of the diabetic kidney. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 45 (6). pp. 2369-2388. doi:10.1159/000488185 ISSN 1015-8987.

Diez, Rebecca, Richardson, Magnus J. E. and Wall, Mark J. (2017) Reducing extracellular Ca2+ induces adenosine release via equilibrative nucleoside transporters to provide negative feedback control of activity in the hippocampus. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 11 . 75. doi:10.3389/fncir.2017.00075 ISSN 1662-5110.

Newton, Adam J. H., Wall, Mark J. and Richardson, Magnus J. E. (2017) Modelling microelectrode biosensors : free-flow calibration can substantially underestimate tissue concentrations. Journal of Neurophysiology, 117 (3). pp. 937-949. doi:10.1152/jn.00788.2016 ISSN 0022-3077.

Bird, Alex D., Wall, Mark J. and Richardson, Magnus J. E. (2016) Bayesian inference of synaptic quantal parameters from correlated vesicle release. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 10 . 116. doi:10.3389/fncom.2016.00116 ISSN 1662-5188.

Kaufmann, Timothy J., Harrison, Paul Michael, Richardson, Magnus J. E., Pinheiro, Teresa J. T. and Wall, Mark J. (2016) Intracellular soluble α-synuclein oligomers reduce pyramidal cell excitability. The Journal of Physiology, 594 (10). 2751-2772 . doi:10.1113/JP271968 ISSN 0022-3751.

DaSilva, Luis L., Wall, Mark J., Almeida, Luciana P. de , Wauters, Sandrine, Januario, Yunan C., Müller, Jürgen and Corrêa, Sônia A. L. (2016) Arc controls AMPAR endocytosis through a direct interaction with clathrin-adaptor protein 2. eNeuro, 3 (3). 0144-15.2016. doi:10.1523/ENEURO.0144-15.2016 ISSN 2373-2822.

Frenguelli, Bruno G. and Wall, Mark J. (2016) Combined electrophysiological and biosensor approaches to study purinergic regulation of epileptiform activity in cortical tissue. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 260 . pp. 202-214. doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.09.011 ISSN 0165-0270.

Harrison, Paul Michael, Badel, Laurent, Wall, Mark J. and Richardson, Magnus J. E. (2015) Experimentally verified parameter sets for modelling heterogeneous neocortical pyramidal-cell populations. PLoS Computational Biology, 11 (8). pp. 1-23. e1004165. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004165 ISSN 1553-7358.

Wall, Mark J. and Richardson, Magnus J. E. (2015) Localised adenosine signalling provides fine-tuned negative feedback over a wide dynamic range of neocortical network activities. Journal of Neurophysiology, 113 (3). pp. 871-882. doi:10.1152/jn.00620.2014 ISSN 0022-3077.

Mabb, Angela M., Je, H. Shawn, Wall, Mark J., Robinson, Camenzind G., Larsen, Rylan S., Qiang, Yuan, Corrêa, Sônia A. L. and Ehlers, Michael D. (2014) Triad3A regulates synaptic strength by ubiquitination of Arc. Neuron, Volume 82 (Number 6). pp. 1299-1316. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2014.05.016 ISSN 0896-6273.

Wall, Mark J. and Dale, Nicholas (2013) Neuronal transporter and astrocytic ATP exocytosis underlie activity-dependent adenosine release in the hippocampus. The Journal of Physiology, Volume 591 (Number 16). pp. 3853-3871. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2013.253450 ISSN 0022-3751.

Kerr, Michael I., Wall, Mark J. and Richardson, Magnus J. E. (2013) Adenosine A1 receptor activation mediates the developmental shift at layer 5 pyramidal cell synapses and is a determinant of mature synaptic strength. The Journal of Physiology, Volume 591 . pp. 3371-3380. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2012.244392 ISSN 0022-3751.

Thomas, M. G., Covington, James A. and Wall, Mark J. (2013) A chamber for the perfusion of in vitro tissue with multiple solutions. Journal of Neurophysiology, Volume 110 (Number 1). pp. 269-277. doi:10.1152/jn.01039.2012 ISSN 0022-3077.

Hills, Claire E., Kerr, Michael I., Wall, Mark J. and Squires, Paul E. (2013) Visfatin reduces gap junction mediated cell-to-cell communication in proximal tubule-derived epithelial cells. Cellular Physiology & Biochemistry, Volume 32 (Number 5). pp. 1200-1212. doi:10.1159/000354519 ISSN 1015-8987.

Forrest, Michael D., Wall, Mark J., Press, Daniel A. and Feng, Jianfeng (2012) The sodium-potassium pump controls the intrinsic firing of the cerebellar Purkinje neuron. PLoS ONE, Vol.7 (No.12). e51169. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051169 ISSN 1932-6203.

Klyuch, Boris P., Dale, Nicholas and Wall, Mark J. (2012) Deletion of ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) reveals direct action potential-dependent adenosine release. Journal of Neuroscience, Vol.32 (No.11). pp. 3842-3847. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6052-11.2012 ISSN 0270-6474.

Klyuch, Boris P., Dale, Nicholas and Wall, Mark J. (2012) Receptor-mediated modulation of activity-dependent adenosine release in rat cerebellum. Neuropharmacology, Vol.62 (No.2). pp. 815-824. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.09.007 ISSN 0028-3908.

Atterbury, Alison and Wall, Mark J. (2011) A population of immature cerebellar parallel fibre synapses are insensitive to adenosine but are inhibited by hypoxia. Neuropharmacology, Vol.61 (No.4). pp. 880-888. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.06.006 ISSN 00283908.

Klyuch, Boris P., Richardson, Magnus J. E., Dale, Nicholas and Wall, Mark J. (2011) The dynamics of single spike-evoked adenosine release in the cerebellum. Journal of Physiology, The, Vol.589 (No.2). pp. 283-295. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2010.198986 ISSN 0022-3751.

Wall, Mark J., Eason, Robert and Dale, Nicholas (2010) Biosensor measurement of purine release from cerebellar cultures and slices. Purinergic Signalling, Vol.6 (No.3). pp. 339-348. doi:10.1007/s11302-010-9185-8 ISSN 1573-9546.

Atterbury, Alison and Wall, Mark J. (2009) Adenosine signalling at immature parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapses in rat cerebellum. Journal of Physiology, Vol.587 (No.18). pp. 4497-4508. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2009.176420 ISSN 0022-3751.

Wall, Mark J. and Dale, Nicholas (2008) Activity-dependent release of Adenosine: a critical re-evaluation of mechanism. Current Neuropharmacology, Vol.6 (No.4). pp. 329-337. doi:10.2174/157015908787386087 ISSN 1570-159X.

Wall, Mark J., Wigmore, Geoffery, Lopatář, Ján, Frenguelli, Bruno G. and Dale, Nicholas (2008) The novel NTPDase inhibitor sodium polyoxotungstate (POM-1) inhibits ATP breakdown but also blocks central synaptic transmission, an action independent of NTPDase inhibition. Neuropharmacology, Vol.55 (No.7). pp. 1251-1258. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.08.005 ISSN 0028-3908.

Sanghera, Narinder, Wall, Mark J., Venien-Bryan, Catherine and Pinheiro, Teresa J. T. (2008) Globular and pre-fibrillar prion aggregates are toxic to neuronal cells and perturb their electrophysiology. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Proteins and Proteomics, Vol.1784 (No.6). pp. 873-881. doi:10.1016/j.bbapap.2008.02.017 ISSN 1570-9639.

Press, Daniel A. and Wall, Mark J. (2008) Expression of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides at climbing fibre-Purkinje cell synapses in the rat vestibular cerebellum. Neuropeptides, Vol.42 (No.1). pp. 39-46. doi:10.1016/j.npep.2007.11.001 ISSN 0143-4179.

Wall, Mark J., Atterbury, Alison and Dale, Nicholas (2007) Control of basal extracellular adenosine concentration in rat cerebellum. Journal of Physiology, Vol.582 (No.1). pp. 137-151. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2007.132050 ISSN 0022-3751.

Wall, Mark J. and Dale, Nicholas (2007) Auto-inhibition of rat parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapses by activity-dependent adenosine release. Journal of Physiology, Vol.581 (No.2). pp. 553-565. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2006.126417 ISSN 0022-3751.

Research Projects

Title	Funder	Award start	Award end
Synaptic toxicity of tau oligomers in Alzheimer's disease: underlying mechanisms and clinical translation 5-year post-doc fellowship - ARUK RAD ECF	Alzheimers Research UK	01 Nov 2021	31 Oct 2026
L-Aspartate signalling in the brain	MRC	01 May 2022	31 May 2026
MRC Mid-range Equipment Grant Full Stage Application - July 2022	MRC	31 Oct 2022	30 Oct 2025
Modulation of arousal by direct CO2 gating of connexin hemichannels expressed by VTA GABAergic neurons (BBSRC Responsive Mode Application)	BBSRC	01 Sept 2021	31 Jan 2025
Development of novel Purine-based analgesics VTC for 62417	NeuroSolutions Limited	01 Oct 2023	11 Jun 2024
Investigating mechanisms of tau oligomer of plasticity and synaptic transmission in pyramidal cells. ARUK Midlands Network Centre	Alzheimers Research UK	01 Mar 2021	28 Feb 2022
ARUK ECR for Emily Hill. Mechanisms by which oligomeric tau alters neuronal function at a single neuron level: new insights into the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease	Alzheimers Research UK	15 Jul 2021	14 Oct 2021
The role of gliotransmission in absence epilepsy	Epilepsy Research UK	01 Sept 2017	31 Aug 2019
How do intracellular tau protein oligomers modulate pyramidal cell function in the hippocampus? ARUK Midlands Network Centre	Alzheimers Research UK	01 Sept 2017	31 Aug 2018
Negative-feedback control of neocortical activity by the neuromodulator adenosine	BBSRC	01 Jan 2013	31 Dec 2016
Negative-feedback control of neocortical activity by the neuromodulator adenosine	BBSRC	01 Jan 2013	31 Dec 2016
Action Potential and Ca2+ Dependant Adenosine Release in the Cerebellum:	MRC	01 Jun 2008	31 May 2011
Quantifying the effects of adenosine on synaptic transmission between neocorticalpyramidal cells	Royal Society	01 May 2009	30 Apr 2010
Novel real-time amperometric detection of extracellular ATP: characterisation of spontaneous ATP release in cerebellum	Wellcome Trust	01 Jan 2005	31 Dec 2007

Teaching / Student Supervision