William E. O'Neill, Ph.D.
Contact
William E. O'Neill, Ph.D.
About Me
Cornell University Ecology and Evolution 1969 B.S.
SUNY at Stony Brook Neurobiology and Behavior 1976 Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING:
Washington University Physiology and Biophysics 9/76 - 8/79 Trainee
FACULTY APPOINTMENTS:
1996-Present Associate Pro...
Cornell University Ecology and Evolution 1969 B.S.
SUNY at Stony Brook Neurobiology and Behavior 1976 Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING:
Washington University Physiology and Biophysics 9/76 - 8/79 Trainee
FACULTY APPOINTMENTS:
1996-Present Associate Professor University of Rochester Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
1996-Present Associate Professor University of Rochester Department of Brain and Cognitive Science
1/1996-6/1996 Associate Professor University of Rochester Department of Pharmacology & Physiology
1987-1995 Associate Professor University of Rochester Department of Physiology
1986-1987 Associate Professor University of Rochester Center for Brain Research
1979-1986 Assistant Professor University of Rochester Center for Brain Research
12/1975-9/1976 Instructor S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook
Faculty Appointments
Professor Emeritus - Department of Neuroscience (SMD)
Credentials
Post-doctoral Training & Residency
Washington University,
Physiology and Biophysics. 1976 - 1979
Education
PhD | Stony Brook Univ Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. Behavioral Science, Other. 1976
BS | Cornell University. Neurophysiology. 1969
Awards
NIH Training Grant, Research,. 1976 - 1979
New York State Regents Scholarship,. 1965 - 1969
Research
Processing of Complex Acoustic Signals in the Central Auditory System; Echolocation; Aging Effects on Temporal and Spatial Processing in the Central Auditory System.
Acoustic communication, including human speech, is mediated by dynamic sounds that vary in both time and frequ...
Processing of Complex Acoustic Signals in the Central Auditory System; Echolocation; Aging Effects on Temporal and Spatial Processing in the Central Auditory System.
Acoustic communication, including human speech, is mediated by dynamic sounds that vary in both time and frequency. Recent research focuses on the neuronal mechanisms in the auditory midbrain involved in the encoding of complex biologically-relevant acoustic signals. In particular, we are interested in the neural basis for the perception of brief frequency modulations (FM), which are nearly ubiquitous in the communication sounds used by most vertebrates, including consonant-vowel transitions in human speech. Our studies have been carried out in echolocating mustached bats that emit biosonar signals with prominent FM sweeps. Neurons in the bat auditory midbrain, thalamus and cortex are often selective for the direction of frequency change in FM sweeps, with some preferring upward sweeps, and others preferring downward sweeps. We have shown that directional preference depends on the velocity of frequency change in the sweep that is correlated with a time dependent interaction between excitation and inhibition driving these cells. By using pseudorandom tone sequences to mimic the dynamic acoustic microstructure of FM sweeps, we have developed a novel way to describe auditory receptive fields that captures the dynamic non-linear interactions underlying the encoding of these signals. Techniques include digital sound synthesis, neurophysiological recording of single-unit activity, anatomical tract tracing, and immunocytochemistry.
A second area of investigation is aimed at a common complaint of elderly listeners, who report having no trouble understanding speech in quiet, but suffer significant loss of intelligibility in noisy environments, even though they have minimal peripheral hearing loss. This effort is carried out by a team of investigators at the UR and Rochester Inst. of Technology. Our working hypothesis is that this problem is caused by deterioration of temporal processing in the central auditory system. To address this question, young and old human and animal subjects (inbred mice, gerbils, guinea pigs) are tested in parallel at functionally comparable life stages, with the intention of ultimately understanding which central auditory processes deteriorate with age, and what strategies might be developed to ameliorate this problem.
A third project, done in collaboration with NBA Department chair Dr. Gary Paige, also has an aging component. We are investigating in human subjects how spatial information, separately encoded in visual, auditory and vestibular coordinate space, is combined to create a unified sense of personal space, and how this concordance of spatial information processing changes with age. Current experiments being carried out by graduate and undergraduate students revolve around 1) the effect of distraction on auditory localization in the elderly, and 2) the effect of displaced eye or ear position on auditory localization.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Zettel, M.L., X. Zhu, W.E. O'Neill, and R.D. Frisina. Age-related Decline in Kv3.1b Expression in the Mouse Auditory Brainstem Correlates with Functional Deficits in the Medial Olivocochlear Efferent System. J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 8(2): 280 – 293, 2007.
Razavi B., W.E. O'Neill, and G.D. Paige. Auditory spatial perception dynamically realigns with changing eye position. J. Neuroscience 27(38): 10,249 – 10,258, 2007.
Ison, J.R., P.D. Allen, and W.E. O'Neill. Age-related hearing loss in C57BL/6J mice has both frequency specific and non-frequency specific components that produce a hyperacusis-like exaggeration of the startle reflex. J. Assoc. Res. Otolaryngol. 8(4): 539-550, 2007.
Publications
Journal Articles
Lambl BB, Altamimi S, Kaufman NE, Rein MS, Freeley M, Duram M, Krauss W, Kurowski J, O'Neill WE, Seeley P, Gagnon MJ, Phillips DE, Rubin MS
Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety. 2019 April 45 (4):285-294. Epub 12/05/2018.
Bosen AK, Fleming JT, Allen PD, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
PloS one.. 2018 13 (8):e0200930. Epub 08/01/2018.
Bosen AK, Fleming JT, Allen PD, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
Experimental brain research.. 2017 February 235 (2):585-595. Epub 11/11/2016.
Bosen AK, Fleming JT, Brown SE, Allen PD, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
Biological cybernetics.. 2016 December 110 (6):455-471. Epub 11/04/2016.
Helmreich DL, Tylee D, Christianson JP, Kubala KH, Govindarajan ST, O'Neill WE, Becoats K, Watkins L, Maier SF
Psychoneuroendocrinology.. 2012 December 37 (12):1941-8. Epub 05/10/2012.
Dobreva MS, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
Experimental brain research.. 2012 December 223 (4):441-55. Epub 10/14/2012.
Dobreva, Marina S.; O'Neill, William E.; Paige, Gary D.
Journal of Neurophysiology. 2011; 105(5): 2471-2486.
Cui QN, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
Experimental brain research.. 2010 October 206 (4):371-9. Epub 09/21/2010.
Brimijoin WO, O'Neill WE
Hearing research.. 2010 August 267 (1-2):96-110. Epub 04/27/2010.
Cui QN, Razavi B, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
Journal of neurophysiology.. 2010 February 103 (2):1020-35. Epub 10/21/2009.
Cui, Q. N.; Bachus, L.; Knoth, E.; O'Neill, W. E.; Paige, G. D.;.
Progress in Brain Research. 2008; 171: 265-70.
Cui QN, Bachus L, Knoth E, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
Progress in brain research.. 2008 171 :265-70. Epub 1900 01 01.
Ison JR, Allen PD, O'Neill WE
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO.. 2007 December 8 (4):539-50. Epub 10/19/2007.
Razavi B, O'Neill WE, Paige GD
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2007 September 1927 (38):10249-58. Epub 1900 01 01.
Zettel ML, Zhu X, O'Neill WE, Frisina RD
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO.. 2007 June 8 (2):280-93. Epub 02/15/2007.
Ison, J. R.; Allen, P. D.; O'Neill, W. E.;.
J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2007; 8(4): 539-50.
Razavi, Babak; O'Neill, William E.; Paige, Gary D.;.
J. Neurosci. 2007; 27(38): 10249-10258.
Zettel, M. L.; Zhu, X.; O'Neill, W. E.; Frisina, R. D.;.
J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2007; 8(2): 280-93.
Brimijoin WO, O'Neill WE
Hearing research.. 2005 December 210 (1-2):63-79. Epub 11/02/2005.
Radtke-Schuller S, Schuller G, O'Neill WE
Anatomy and embryology.. 2004 November 209 (1):77-91. Epub 1900 01 01.
Thalamic projections to the auditory cortex in the rufous horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus rouxi). II. Dorsal fields
Radtke-Schuller, S.; Schuller, G.; O'Neill, W.E.; ry Cortex/me [Metabolism]; ry Pathways/me [Metabolism];.
Anatomy & Embryology. 2004; 209(1Nov): 77-91.
Zettel ML, O'Neill WE, Trang TT, Frisina RD
Hearing research.. 2003 September 183 (1-2):57-66. Epub 1900 01 01.
O'Neill WE, Brimijoin WO
Journal of neurophysiology.. 2002 July 88 (1):172-87. Epub 1900 01 01.
Zettel ML, O'Neill WE, Trang TT, Frisina RD
Hearing research.. 2001 August 158 (1-2):131-8. Epub 1900 01 01.
Gordon M, O'Neill WE
The Journal of comparative neurology.. 2000 October 16426 (2):165-81. Epub 1900 01 01.
Gordon M, O'Neill WE
Hearing research.. 1998 August 122 (1-2):97-108. Epub 1900 01 01.
Walton JP, Frisina RD, O'Neill WE
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1998 April 118 (7):2764-76. Epub 1900 01 01.
Wilson WW, O'Neill WE
Journal of neurophysiology.. 1998 April 79 (4):2040-62. Epub 1900 01 01.
O'Neill WE, Zettel ML, Whittemore KR, Frisina RD
Hearing research.. 1997 October 112 (1-2):158-66. Epub 1900 01 01.
Zettel ML, Frisina RD, Haider SE, O'Neill WE
The Journal of comparative neurology.. 1997 September 15386 (1):92-110. Epub 1900 01 01.
Walton JP, Frisina RD, Ison JR, O'Neill WE
Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral
Calbindin D-28k Immunoreactivity in the Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body Declines With Age in C57bl/6, But Not Cba/Caj, Mice
O'Neill, W.E.; Zettel, M.L.; Whittemore, K.R.; Frisina, R.D.;.
Hearing Research. 1997; 1125214: 158-166.
Age-related changes in calbindin D-28k and calretinin immunoreactivity in the inferior colliculus of CBA/CaJ and C57Bl/6 mice
Zettel, M.L.; Frisina, R.D.; Haider, S.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Journal of Comparative Neurology. 1997; 3865173: 92-110.
Neural correlates of behavioral gap detection in the inferior colliculus of the young CBA mouse
Walton, J.P.; Frisina, R.D.; Ison, J.R.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 1997; 1815216: 161-176.
Pulse-echo stimulus combinations can facilitate sonar signal vocalizations elicited by electrical stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex in the mustache bat
O'Neill, W.E.; Basham, M.;.
Proc Third Intl Congr Neuroethology5026. 1992; : 272.
Zettel ML, Carr CE, O'Neill WE
The Journal of comparative neurology.. 1991 November 1313 (1):1-16. Epub 1900 01 01.
Schuller G, O'Neill WE, Radtke-Schuller S
The European journal of neuroscience.. 1991 October 3 (11):1165-1181. Epub 1900 01 01.
Henze D, O'Neill WE
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.. 1991 May 89 (5):2430-4. Epub 1900 01 01.
Facilitation and delay sensitivity of auditory cortex neurons in CF-FM bats, Rhinolophus rouxi and Pteronotus p. parnellii
Schuller, G.; O'Neill, W.E.; Radtke-Schuller, S.;.
European Journal of Neuroscience. 1991; 34974: 1165-1181.
Calbindin-like immunoreactivity in the central auditory system of the mustached bat, Pteronotus parnelli
Zettel, M.L.; Carr, C.E.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Journal of Comparative Neurology. 1991; 3134989: 1-16.
ON-OFF units in the mustached bat inferior colliculus are selective for transients resembling "acoustic glint" from fluttering insect targets
Lesser, H.D.; O'Neill, W.E.; Frisina, R.D.; Emerson, R.C.;.
Experimental Brain Research. 1990; 825009: 137-148.
Lesser HD, O'Neill WE, Frisina RD, Emerson RC
Experimental brain research.. 1990 82 (1):137-48. Epub 1900 01 01.
O'Neill WE, Frisina RD, Gooler DM
The Journal of comparative neurology.. 1989 June 1284 (1):60-84. Epub 1900 01 01.
Frisina RD, O'Neill WE, Zettel ML
The Journal of comparative neurology.. 1989 June 1284 (1):85-107. Epub 1900 01 01.
Functional organization of mustached bat inferior colliculus: II. Connections of the FM2 region
Frisina, R.D.; O'Neill, W.E.; Zettel, M.L.;.
Journal of Comparative Neurology. 1989; 2844799: 85-107.
Functional organization of mustached bat inferior colliculus: I. Representation of FM frequency bands important for target ranging revealed by (14)C-2-Deoxyglucose autoradiography and single unit mapping
O'Neill, W.E.; Frisina, R.D.; Gooler, D.M.;.
Journal of Comparative Neurology. 1989; 2844800: 60-84.
Gooler DM, O'Neill WE
Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral
Topographic representation of vocal frequency demonstrated by microstimulation of anterior cingulate cortex in the echolocating bat, Pteronotus parnelli parnelli
Gooler, D.M.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 1987; 1611077: 283-294.
Directional sensitivity of the auditory midbrain in the mustached bat to free-field tones
Makous, J.C.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Hearing Research. 1986; 242254: 73-88.
Makous JC, O'Neill WE
Hearing research.. 1986 24 (1):73-88. Epub 1900 01 01.
O'Neill WE
Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral
Responses to pure tones and linear FM components of the CF-FM biosonar signal by single units in the inferior colliculus of the mustached bat
O'Neill, W.E.;.
Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 1985; 15726: 797-815.
Suga N, O'Neill WE, Kujirai K, Manabe T
Journal of neurophysiology.. 1983 June 49 (6):1573-626. Epub 1900 01 01.
Specificity of "combination sensitive" neurons for processing complex biosonar signals in the auditory cortex of the mustached bat
Suga, N.; O'Neill, W.E.; Kujirai, K.; Manabe, T.;.
Journal of Neurophysiology. 1983; 4932: 1573-1626.
O'Neill WE, Suga N
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1982 January 2 (1):17-31. Epub 1900 01 01.
Encoding of target range and its representation in the auditory cortex of the mustached bat
O'Neill, W.E.; Suga, N.;.
Journal of Neuroscience. 1982; 231: 17-31.
Suga N, O'Neill WE
Science.. 1979 October 19206 (4416):351-3. Epub 1900 01 01.
Suga N, O'Neill WE, Manabe T
Science.. 1979 January 19203 (4377):270-4. Epub 1900 01 01.
O'Neill WE, Suga N
Science.. 1979 January 5203 (4375):69-73. Epub 1900 01 01.
Target-range sensitive neurons in the auditory cortex of the mustached bat
O'Neill, W.E.; Suga, N.;.
Science. 1979; 20337: 69-73.
Neural axis representing target range in the auditory cortex of the mustached bat
Suga, N.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Science. 1979; 20636: 351-353.
Harmonic-sensitive neurons in the auditory cortex of the mustache bat
Suga, N.; O'Neill, W.E.; Manabe, T.;.
Science. 1979; 203350: 270-274.
Suga N, O'Neill WE, Manabe T
Science.. 1978 May 19200 (4343):778-81. Epub 1900 01 01.
Mechanisms of echolocation in bats - comments on the neuroethology of the biosonar system of CF-FM bats
Suga, N.; O'Neill, W.E.;.
Trends in Neuroscience. 1978; 1349: 35-38.
Cortical neurons sensitive to combinations of information-bearing elements of biosonar signals in the mustached bat
Suga, N.; O'Neill, W.E.; Manabe, T.;.
Science. 1978; 20030: 778-781.
Books
Using Eye Movements as an Experimental Probe of Brain Function (2008)
Chapter: Eye position and cross-sensory learning both contribute to prism adaptation of auditory space
Authors: Cui, Qi N., L. Bachus, E. Knoth, W. E. O'Neill and G. D. Paige
Publisher: Elsevier 2008
Progress in Brain Research (2008)
Chapter: Eye position and cross-sensory learning both contribute to prism adaptation of auditory space.
Authors: Cui, Qi N., L. Bachus, E. Knoth, W. E. O'Neill and G. D. Paige
Publisher: Elsevier 2008
Echolocation in Bats and Dolphins, (2003)
Chapter: The mustached bat auditory cortex.
Authors: O'Neill, W.E.
Publisher: Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago 2003
Handbook of Mouse Auditory Research: From Behavior to Molecular Biology (2001)
Chapter: Elicitation and inhibition of the startle reflex by acoustic transients: Studies of age-related changes in temporal processing.
Authors: Ison J.R.; Walton J.P.; Frisina R.D.; O'Neill W.E.
Publisher: CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida 2001
Hearing in Bats, Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (1995)
Chapter: The bat auditory cortex.
Authors: O'Neill W.E.
Publisher: Springer-Verlag, New York 1995
Hearing in Bats, Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (1995)
Chapter: Perspectives on the functional organization of the mammalian auditory system: Why bats are good models.
Authors: Pollak G.D.; J.A. Winer; W.E. O'Neill
Publisher: Springer-Verlag, New York 1995
Animal Sonar: Processes and Performance. (1988)
Chapter: Central control of frequency in biosonar emissions of the mustached bat.
Authors: Gooler D.M.; W.E. O'Neill.
Publisher: New York: Plenum 1988
Physiological Control of Mammalian Vocalizations (1988)
Chapter: The central control of biosonar signal production in bats demonstrated by microstimulation of anterior cingulate cortex in the echolocating bat, Pteronotus parnelli parnelli.
Authors: Gooler D.M.; W.E. O'Neill.
Publisher: New York: Plenum 1988
Animal Sonar: Processes and Performance. (1988)
Chapter: Processing of paired biosonar signals in the cortices of Rhinolophus rouxi and Pteronotus parnellii. A comparative neurophysiological and neuroanatomical study.
Authors: Schuller G.; W.E. O'Neill; S. Radtke-Schuller
Publisher: New York: Plenum 1988
Animal Sonar: Processes and Performance. (1988)
Chapter: Target range processing pathways in the auditory system of the mustached bat.
Authors: O'Neill W.E.; R.D. Frisina; D.M. Gooler; M.L. Zettel.
Publisher: New York: Plenum 1988
Recent Advances in the Study of Bats (1987)
Chapter: Processing of temporal information in the auditory systems of echolocating bats.
Authors: O'Neill W.E. .
Publisher: Cambridge Univ. Press 1987
Neuronal Mechanisms of Hearing (1981)
Chapter: How biosonar information is represented in the bat cerebral cortex.
Authors: Suga N.; K. Kuzirai; W.E. O'Neill.
Publisher: Plenum, New York 1981
Animal Sonar Systems (1980)
Chapter: Auditory processing of echoes: Representation of acoustic information from the environment in the bat cerebral cortex.
Authors: Suga N.; W.E. O'Neill.
Publisher: Plenum, New York 1980
Animal Sonar Systems (1980)
Chapter: Range processing at the highest levels of the auditory system.
Authors: O'Neill W.E.; N. Suga.
Publisher: Plenum, New York 1980