Learn more about Dr. Robison

Gregory Robison was born and raised with his twin brother in northern, lower Michigan near Lake Michigan. Through his studies, he has progressively moved further and further south through Indiana. He still misses long winters and often complains of the lack of snow and/or cold. He also misses downhill skiing, in which he competed throughout middle and high school.

During his undergraduate career, Robison participated in several research projects, including a study of the radiation absorption and thermal properties of bromine intercalated carbon fibers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio), a study of low mass x-ray binary data at Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, N.M.), and a project modeling experimental equipment for muon capture at Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.). He also played for the men’s soccer team, participated in mission trips to Jamaica (2002) and Germany (2004), and studied abroad in London, England (2004) and Strasbourg, France (AY 2005). He still fondly reflects on his time aboard and hopes for new opportunities to revisit France in the future.

In August 2006, he moved to West Lafayette, Ind., with his wife to attend graduate school in physics at Purdue University. He joined Professor Yulia Pushkar’s biophysics research group in 2009, where he was introduced to x-ray fluorescence microscopy using synchrotron radiation. This technique became the basis for his thesis on the study of manganese accumulation in the rodent central nervous system.

In addition to his research pursuits, he has served as a graduate teaching assistant and lecturer in a wide variety of introductory physics courses. He also served as a member of the Physics Graduate Student Association during its formation (2012), coached the Tippecanoe Tornados soccer club (2006-2010), followed several upper-level French courses, and served in various outreach ministries organized by Faith Church (Lafayette, Ind.). Upon graduation, Greg joined the faculty of Hanover College as a visiting professor of physics in 2014, continuing as an assistant professor for AY2016. 

While at Manchester University, Greg was blessed to meet his future wife, whom he married in fall 2008. They welcomed the birth of their first child in summer 2012 and their second child in summer 2016.

Education

B.S. in physics and mathematics, Manchester College (now University)

Ph.D. in physics, Purdue University

Publications

Sullivan, B., G. Robison, et al. (2016). “In Vivo Mn Exposure Does Not Affect Adult Neurogenesis in Rats.” Society of Toxicology Accepted.

Sullivan, B., G. Robison, et al. (2016). “Copper Accumulation in Rodent Brain Astrocytes: A Species Difference.” Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology Submitted.

Davis, K. M., B. T. Sullivan, et al. (2015). “Rapid Evolution of the Photosystem II Electronic Structure during Water Splitting.” arXiv:1506.08862.

Sullivan, B. T., Y. Pushkar, et al. (2015). “X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy Analysis of Metal-Rich Inclusion Bodies in Adult Neural Stem Cells in Situ.” Biophysical Journal 108(2): 155a.

Robison, G., B. Sullivan, et al. (2015). “Identification of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta as a target of manganese accumulation.” Metallomics 7(5): 748-755.

Robison, G., T. Zakharova, et al. (2013). “X-ray fluorescence imaging of the hippocampal formation after manganese exposure.” Metallomics 5(11): 1554-1565.

Pushkar, Y., G. Robison, et al. (2013). “Aging results in copper accumulations in glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells in the subventricular zone.” Aging Cell 12(5): 823-832.

Robison, G., T. Zakharova, et al. (2012). “X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging: A New Tool for Studying Manganese Neurotoxicity.” PLoS One 7(11): e48899.

Gu, H., G. Robison, et al. (2012). “Increased β-amyloid deposition in Tg-SWDI transgenic mouse brain following in vivo lead exposure.” Toxicology Letters 213(2): 211-219.