Peter Soja PhD
Professor
Dr. Peter Soja completed a bachelor of science in biology at UMASS-Dartmouth and a doctor of philosophy in pharmacology at UBC. He completed postdoctoral work in neuropharmacology at the Brain Research Institute, UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Soja also completed the faculty certificate on teaching and learning in higher education at UBC.
Dr. Soja's current research focuses on how synaptic transmission through identified ascending spinal sensory pathways and motoneuron pools differs during distinct behavioral states such as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and REM sleep, or general anesthesia vs. wakefulness. Data derived from these studies will help to further elucidate the neural network interactions between sleep, pain, and anesthesia, which traditionally, have been studied as insular, separate fields. Moreover, these studies may provide targets for developing novel treatment approaches for the cataplexy associated with narcolepsy, the sensory dyesthesias of restless legs syndrome, and/or the abnormal motor tone that occurs in REM behavior disorder as well as chronic pain following restricted sleep, and/or recent CNS trauma.
"BC Health Research Foundation Scholar." Soja P. BC Health Research Foundation. 1989–1992.