Biography
Dr. Shevtsova received a M.S. in Mathematics from Rostov State University, Russia in 1973. In the same year, she joined A. B. Kogan Research Institute for Neurocybernetics at Rostov State University where she worked for many years as a researcher/senior researcher. In 1996, she earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rostov State University. In 1996-1998, she was Research Associate in the laboratory of Dr. James Reggia at the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland. In 2001-2004, she held a Research Associate position in the laboratory of Dr. Ilya Rybak at Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering. She was also Visiting Scientist in the Laboratory for Analysis and Control of Systems, Le Havre University, France (1994), Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland (2001) and Department of Computer Science of Middlesex University, London, UK (2001). In 2006, Dr. Shevtsova joined the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine as Research Assistant Professor.
Research Interests
Shevtsova’s research interests include: computational and mathematical modeling of biological neurons and neural networks, neural oscillations, neural control of respiration and locomotion, visual perception and recognition:
Neurogenesis of the respiratory rhythm and neural control of breathing:
• Network mechanisms for respiratory rhythm generation and pattern formation
• Spatial organization of the brainstem respiratory center
• The role of cellular and network mechanisms in the respiratory rhythm generation
• Control of respiration in normal and disease states
Neurogenesis of the locomotor rhythm and neural control of locomotion:
• Cellular and network mechanisms for locomotor rhythm generation in the mammalian spinal cord. The locomotor central pattern generator (CPG)
• Afferent and supra-spinal control of walking
• Restoration of the locomotor function after spinal cord injury
Vision:
• Neural mechanisms for image processing and feature detection in the visual cortex
• Temporal dynamics of neuronal activity and orientation selectivity in the visual cortex
• Visual image processing, perception, representation and invariant recognition
• Computational modeling of lateralization in visual perception; functional cerebral asymmetries; interhemispheric interactions; effect of and recovery from focal cerebral damages; role of corpus callosum in functional lateralization and in post-stroke recovery
Link to More Research
Shevtsova is a key investigator in two major projects supported by the NINDS/NIH: the Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) project “Spinal control of locomotion: studies and applications” and Collaborative Research in Computational NeuroScience (CRCNS) project “State-dependent neural mechanisms for respiratory pattern generation”.
Selected Publications
Generation of the respiratory rhythm and neural control of breathing:
Shevtsova, N. A., Ptak, K., McCrimmon, D. R., and Rybak, I. A. (2003) Computational modeling of bursting pacemaker neurons in the pre-Bötzinger complex. Neurocomputing, 52-54, 933-942.
Rybak, I. A., Ptak, K., Shevtsova, N. A., and McCrimmon, D. R. (2003) Sodium currents in neurons from the rostroventrolateral medulla of the rat. J. Neurophysiol. 90: 1635-1642.
Rybak, I. A., Shevtsova, N. A., St.-John, W. M., Paton, J. F. R., and Pierrefiche, O. (2003) Endogenous rhythm generation in the pre-Bötzinger complex and ionic currents: Modelling and in vitro studies. Eur. J. Neurosci. 18: 239-257.
Rybak, I. A., Shevtsova, N. A., Ptak, K., and McCrimmon D. R. (2004) Intrinsic bursting activity in the pre-Bötzinger Complex: Role of persistent sodium and potassium currents. Biol. Cybern. 90: 59-74.
Rybak, I. A., Shevtsova, N. A., Paton, J. F. R., Dick, T. E., St-John, W. M., Mörschel, M., and Dutschmann, M. (2004) Modeling the ponto-medullary respiratory network. Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 143: 307-319.
Rybak, I. A., Shevtsova, N. A., Paton, J. F. R., Pierrefiche, O., St.-John, W. M., and Haji, A (2004) Modelling respiratory rhythmogenesis. Focus on phase switching mechanisms. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 551, 189-194.
Pierrefiche, O., Shevtsova, N. A., St.-John, W. M., Paton, J. F. R., and Rybak, I. A. (2004) Ionic currents and endogenous rhythm generation in the pre-Bötzinger Complex: Modelling and in vitro studies. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 551: 121-126.
Rybak, I. A., O'Connor, R., Ross, A., Shevtsova, N. A., Nuding, S. C., Segers, L. S., Shannon, R., Dick, T. E, Dunin-Barkowski, W. L., Orem, J. M., Solomon, I. C., Morris, K. F., and Lindsey, B. G. (2008). Reconfiguration of the pontomedullary respiratory network: a computational modeling study with coordinated in vivo experiments. J. Neurophysiol. 100:1770-1799.
Rubin, J. E., Shevtsova, N. A., Ermentrout, G. B., Smith, J. C., and Rybak, I. A. (2009) Multiple rhythmic states in a model of the respiratory CPG. J. Neurophysiol. (in press).
Computational modeling of spinal cord circuits and neural control of locomotion:
Rybak, I. A., Shevtsova, N. A., Lafreniere-Roula, M., and McCrea, D. A. (2006) Modelling spinal circuitry involved in locomotor pattern generation: insights from deletions during fictive locomotion. J. Physiol. Lond. 577(Pt. 2): 617-639.
Rybak, I. A., Stecina, K., Shevtsova, N. A., and McCrea, D. A. (2006) Modelling spinal circuitry involved in locomotor pattern generation: insights from the effects of afferent stimulation. J. Physiol. Lond. 577(Pt. 2): 641-658.
Visual perception and recognition:
Rybak, I. A., Gusakova, V. I., Golovan, A. V., Podladchikova, L. N., and Shevtsova, N. A. (1998) A model of attention-guided visual perception and recognition. Vision Research 38: 2387-2400.
Shevtsova, N. A., and Reggia, J. (1999) A neural network model of lateralization during letter identification. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 11, 167-181.
Shevtsova, N. A., and Reggia, J. (1999) Lateralization in a bihemispheric neural model of letter identification, Neurocomputing, 26-27, 875-880.
Shevtsova, N. A., and Reggia, J. (2000) Interhemispheric effects of simulated lesions in a neural model of letter identification, Brain and Cognition, 44, 577-603.
Shevtsova, N. A., and Reggia, J. (2002) Effects of callosal lesions in a model of letter perception. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 2, 37-51.
Rybak, I. A., Gusakova, V. I., Golovan, A. V., Podladchikova, L. N., and Shevtsova, N. A. (2005) Attention-guided recognition based on “what” and “where” representations: A behavioral model. In: Neurobiology of Attention (Eds. Itti, L., Rees, G. and Tsotsos, J.). Elsevier Acad. Press, pp. 663-670.
Gao, X. W., Podladchikova, L. N., Shaposhnikov, D., Hong, K., and Shevtsova, N. A. (2005) Recognition of traffic signs based on their colour and shape features extracted using human vision models. J. Visual Communication and Image Representation, 17, 675-685.
Shevtsova N. A., Golovan A. V., Podladchikova L. N., Gusakova V. I., Shaposhnikov D.G., Faure A. (2009) Estimation of motion parameters by retina-like neural network model. Neurocomputers for Image and Signal Processing. Springer Verlag GmbH (in press). |