Tell me about The Dolphin Brain exhibit that is currently running at the Ketchum Library Art Gallery.
The Dolphin Brain exhibit highlights the work of Peter Morgane and his collaborators. I worked with Dr. Morgane for 24 years before his death in 2010. While my research collaboration with him focused on the limbic system and the nervous system of the rat, he also was working with other collaborators on the dolphin brain. When he passed away in 2010, I inherited all of his scientific papers. I was already aware of the incredible value of his cetacean brain work. I now see the need to preserve this work and make it available to any researcher. I then began to work with the UNE archivist Cally Gurley and a number of undergraduate students to determine exactly what we had in this collection. That work is almost done.
How did the idea for an exhibit take shape, and how did you become involved?
As we worked to catalog the collection, we also saw the need to publicize that we had this collection and that we needed to find a way to preserve it. This is a way to make the UNE community aware of the collection and share it with others.
You mentioned in the October 2018 UNE article that you and Dr. Patrick Hof worked with Dr. Morgaine directly. Can you tell me a little about the work you did together? How do you see yourself continuing his legacy?
Dr. Hof was a collaborator with Dr. Morgane on the whale brain research. He also has another very valuable collection in his lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This is the actual histological slides of a number of dolphin brains that Dr. Morgane worked from. The exhibit also is about that collection.
As I indicated before, my work with Dr. Morgane was on the rat brain and specifically on the limbic system and the effects of prenatal protein malnutrition. We have published many articles in this area.
What do you hope to achieve as an outcome of the exhibit?
I would like the University to recognize the value of this work. I am hoping that we can find a way to preserve this collection and make it available for other researchers.
What are your next steps in terms of your research?
I continue to do research in the area of prenatal protein malnutrition. Even though I am officially retired, I am still hoping to spend some time contributing to the knowledge of the brain. And now I have more time for writing and promoting our work.
The Dolphin Brain Exhibit will run through September 30th in the Ketchum Library Art Gallery.
DAVID MOKLER, PHD, ON THE DOLPHIN BRAIN EXHIBIT AT THE KETCHUM LIBRARY ART GALLERY