Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

RCUK Academic Fellow
Honorary Clinical Research Fellow in Neurophysiology

Qualifications

B.Sc. (Hons) Queen's University Belfast
Ph.D. Bristol University

Previous Positions

Research Assistant (2000-2001) Bristol University
Post-doctoral research fellow (2001-2005) University of Leeds

Memberships

British Neuroscience Association
The Physiological Society
Society for Neuroscience

Research Interests

Brain oscillatory activity
Neocortical networks
Sleep

Other Expertise

Synaptic transmission
Presynaptic receptors

Postgraduate Supervision

Miss Fiona Randall
Dr Roger Whittaker

Funding

Royal Society Research Grant
Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Trust Special Trustees Fund
Lena Teague Bequest Fund
The Wolfson Foundation

• Anitema B, Hall S, Ahuja N, Preston S, Keown P, McKinnon I, Baker M, Hart Y, Cunningham M, Watson S. A pilot study of anti-NMDA receptor antibodies in psychosis. In: International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists - Psychiatry: medicine and the future. 2012, Liverpool, UK: Royal College of Psychiatrists.
• Thouin A, Bera K, Vincent A, Cunningham MO. Anti-NMDA receptor antibodies disrupt cortical network activity in vitro. In: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry: Association of British Neurologists Annual Meeting. 2012, Gateshead, UK: BMJ Group.
• Cunningham MO, Roopun A, Schofield IS, Whittaker RG, Duncan R, Russell A, Jenkins A, Nicholson C, Whittington MA, Traub RD. Glissandi: transient fast electrocorticographic oscillations of steadily increasing frequency, explained by temporally increasing gap junction conductance. Epilepsia 2012, 53(7), 1205-1214.
• Traub RD, Cunningham MO, Whittington MA. Chemical synaptic and gap junctional interactions between principal neurons: Partners in epileptogenesis. Neural Networks 2011, 24(6), 515-525.
• Ainsworth M, Lee S, Cunningham MO, Roopun AK, Traub RD, Kopell NJ, Whittington MA. Dual Gamma Rhythm Generators Control Interlaminar Synchrony in Auditory Cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience 2011, 31(47), 17040-17051.
• Randall FE, Whittington MA, Cunningham MO. Fast oscillatory activity induced by kainate receptor activation in the rat basolateral amygdala in vitro. European Journal of Neuroscience 2011, 33(5), 914-922.
• Whittaker RG, Turnbull DM, Whittington MA, Cunningham MO. Impaired mitochondrial function abolishes gamma oscillations in the hippocampus through an effect on fast-spiking interneurons. Brain 2011, 134(7), e180.
• Cunningham MO, Chinnery PF. Mitochondria and cortical gamma oscillations: food for thought?. Brain 2011, 134(2), 330-332.
• Roopun AK, Simonotto JD, Pierce ML, Jenkins A, Schofield IS, Whittaker RG, Kaiser M, Whittington MA, Traub RD, Cunningham MO. A nonsynaptic mechanism underlying interictal discharges in human epileptic neocortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010, 107(1), 338-343.
• Cunningham MO. The role of glutamate in cortical gamma oscillatory behaviour: Translational approaches in vitro. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2011, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Roopun AK, LeBeau FEN, Rammell J, Cunningham MO, Traub RD, Whittington MA. Cholinergic neuromodulation controls directed temporal communication in neocortex in vitro. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2010, 4(1), 8.
• Fuchs EC, Zivkovic AR, Cunningham MO, Middleton S, Le Beau FEN, Bannerman DM, Rozov A, Whittington MA, Traub RD, Rawlins JNP, Monyer H. Recruitment of Parvalbumin-Positive Interneurons Determines Hippocampal Function and Associated Behavior. Neuron 2007, 53(4), 591-604.
• Cunningham MO, Pervouchine DD, Racca C, Kopell NJ, Davies CH, Jones RSG, Traub RD, Whittington MA. Neuronal metabolism governs cortical network response state. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2006, 103(14), 5597-5601.
• Cunningham MO, Hunt J, Middleton S, Le Beau FEN, Gillies MG, Davies CH, Maycox PR, Whittington MA, Racca C. Region-specific reduction in entorhinal gamma oscillations and parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in animal models of psychiatric illness. Journal of Neuroscience 2006, 26(10), 2767-2776.
• Traub RD, Bibbig A, Le Beau FE, Cunningham MO, Whittington MA. Persistent gamma oscillations in superficial layers of rat auditory neocortex: experiment and model. Journal of Physiology 2005, 562(1), 3-8.
• Traub RD, Contreras D, Cunningham MO, Murray H, Le Beau FEN, Roopun A, Bibbig A, Wilent WB, Higley MJ, Whittington MA. Single-Column Thalamocortical Network Model Exhibiting Gamma Oscillations, Sleep Spindles, and Epileptogenic Bursts. Journal of Neurophysiology 2005, 93(4), 2194-2232.
• Cunningham MO, Whittington MA, Bibbig A, Roopun A, Le Beau FE, Vogt A, Monyer H, Buhl EH, Traub RD. A role for fast rhythmic bursting neurons in cortical gamma oscillations in vitro. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2004, 101(18), 7152-7157.
• Cunningham MO, Halliday DM, Davies CH, Traub RD, Buhl EH, Whittington MA. Coexistence of gamma and high-frequency oscillations in rat medial entorhinal cortex in vitro. The Journal of Physiology 2004, 559(2), 347-353.
• Cunningham MO, Woodhall GL, Thompson SE, Dooley DJ, Jones RS. Dual effects of gabapentin and pregabalin on glutamate release at rat entorhinal synapses in vitro. European Journal of Neuroscience 2004, 20(6), 1566-1576.
• Traub RD, Cunningham MO, Gloveli T, LeBeau FE, Bibbig A, Buhl EH, Whittington MA. GABA-enhanced collective behavior in neuronal axons underlies persistent gamma-frequency oscillations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2003, 100(19), 11047-11052.
• Cunningham MO, Davies CH, Buhl EH, Kopell N, Whittington MA. Gamma Oscillations Induced by Kainate Receptor Activation in the Entorhinal Cortex In Vitro. Journal of Neuroscience 2003, 23(30), 9761-9769.
• Cunningham MO, Woodhall GL, Jones RS. Valproate modifies spontaneous excitation and inhibition at cortical synapses in vitro. Neuropharmacology 2003, 45(7), 907-917.