Research Focus 

Bacterial electrophysiology is the study of the dynamic response of the membrane potential on bacterial cells. My research has focused on external stimuli like blue light, ethanol, and silver ions. These external stimuli cause hyperpolarization in the bacterial cells and this change in membrane potential is correlated with slowed growth rates. 

Students working in this lab will gain skills in bacterial cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, python for data analysis and visualization, and ImageJ for data analysis.

Rapid Hyperpolarization of the Cellular Membrane Potential Co-Occurs with Slowed Bacterial Elongation. Morgan M Heckman; Sigrid Real-Aguilar. Bioelectricity. 2026-04-06. DOI: 10.1177/25763113261440403 

Lipid adsorbed on the surface of nanomaterials enhances protein corona formation. Morgan M Heckman, Catherine S Cai, Abhishek Kalpattu, Emily M Simmons, Robert M Tighe, Christine K Payne. Environ. Sci.: Nano 2026-03-18. DOI: 10.1039/d5en00971e

Perineuronal net and inhibitory synapse remodeling on striatal fast-spiking interneurons by chronic alcohol exposure. Michael S Patton, Samuel H Sheats, Andreas B Wulff, Paige N McKeon, Jonathan W VanRyzin, Mary H Patton, Morgan Heckman, Allison N Siclair, Phillip H Iffland 2nd, Brian N Mathur. Biological Psychiatry. 2026-02-17. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.02.006 

Cellular and In Vivo Response to Industrial, Food Grade, and Photocatalytic TiO₂ Nanoparticles.

Morgan M Heckman; Michaela C. Albright; Karsten M. Poulsen; Robert M. Tighe; Christine Payne. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 2024-09-04. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02804

The rostral intralaminar nuclear complex of the thalamus supports striatally mediated action reinforcement

Kara Cover; Abby G Lieberman; Morgan M Heckman; Brian Mathur. eLife. 2023-04-06. DOI: 10.7554/elife.83627

Compulsive alcohol consumption is regulated by dorsal striatum fast-spiking interneurons

Michael S. Patton; Morgan Heckman; Cecelia Kim; Chaoqi Mu; Brian N. Mathur. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2021-01. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0766-0