Principle Research Interests

The primary goal of the research in Dr. Oaks' Laboratory is to understand how the rat host and parasite communicate.  As we better understand this two way communication, we will also better understand how the parasite survives and how the underlying mechanism of intestinal physiology function in response to the parasite.
      Research in the Oaks' Laboratory involves a range of theoretical and experimental approaches investigating gastrointestinal responses to enteric parasite infection.  The parasite-host model used exclusively is the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, in the rat.  Currently those in the laboratory use a range of experimental techniques and technologies:

• Electromyography allows measurement of smooth muscle contractile activity and their electrical contractile patterns associated with the digestive and interdigestive states of the intestine.
• Tissue bath studies permit the in vitro examination of intestinal permeability or intestinal responses to tapeworm signal molecules or intestinal hormones and neurotransmitters.
• Cell labeling techniques are used to study intestinal cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis in response to the tapeworm.
• Microdialysis sampling of the intestine coupled to high pressure liquid chromatography of these samples allow us to analyze the secretion of both intestinal and parasite substances which serve as communication molecules.
• Analytical procedures are allowing us to classify individual tapeworm signal molecules.

      Each member of the laboratory has his or her own research project.  These are independent, but interpenetrate other projects, providing the data necessary to reach our primary goal: understanding how parasites regulate host physiology.

      The laboratory is located in the School of Veterinary Medicine on the University of Wisconsin's Madison Campus. Much of Dr. Oaks' research is done in collaboration with Dr. Paul Bass, a faculty member of the School of Pharmacy.  There are currently seven members of the laboratory plus collaborations with scientists outside of this Campus: Dr.  Gordon Telford, The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Dr.  Wilma Starke, Universidade Estadual Paulista-Ilha Solteira Campus, Brazil.